Haay ghazab kahin taara tootaa
Posted on: May 5, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
We are all very familiar with the ‘mujra’ form of dance performance. And there are umpteen songs in Hindi films that apply to this genre. The setting basically is either a family gathering for a social event, or it is the place of the dancing girl. All the famous dancers on Hindi screen have done some very wonderful ‘mujra’ songs on the screen.
And then, there is another related and somewhat similar genre which is not exactly a ‘mujra’, but it is more of a folk dance in a rural theatre setting. Variously called as ‘nautanki’, ‘tamasha’, ‘naatak mandli’, ‘jatra’, ‘swaang’ etc. in different parts of the country, these traveling artists mostly would perform at village fairs, or were invited for important social and family events. Historically, the people who are associated with such performances, also used to be looked down upon in the society, just like the dancing girls in the cities.
And just like the ‘mujra’ this genre has also found a place in the Hindi cinema, and many songs in Hindi films are as per this art form. There also are films that are made around this theme of a traveling theatre. A band of traveling gypsies who perform at village fairs for their living, has been a central theme in many a Hindi films, viz., “Kaarvaan e Hayaat” (1935), “Phagun” (1958), “Caarvaan” (1971) etc. to name a few. I am sure other readers will add more names to this list.
‘Teesri Kasam’ (1966) is one such film that is built around the theme of a traveling performer. The film is based on a short story ‘Maare Gaye Gulfaam’ by Phanishwarnath Renu. The story weaves a beautiful thread around an impromptu relationship that develops between an innocent bullock cart driver, Hiraman (Raj Kapoor) and Hirabai (Waheeda Rehman), a nautanki dancer at village fairs. Having faced unhappy consequences of some earlier experiences in life, Hiraman has two vows that he follows – never to carry illegal goods in his cart, and never to carry bamboo logs in his cart. He is called upon to ferry Hirabai to another village for performing at a fair. The journey is long and the time spent in each other’s company, brings the two close to each other. Hirabai is enamored by the innocence and simplicity of her driver, and Hiraman comes to regard his passenger as an angel with a pure heart. On reaching the destination, Hiraman stays for some days at the fair. He then comes across comments from people who talk about Hirabai in derogatory terms and actually gets involved in fights with them. Hirabai tries to make him understand the harsh realities of life, but then Hiraman pushes her to leave this life of a nautanki dancer and come with him. When this exchange become intense and delicate, Hirabai is forced to reveal that indeed she is not a free person, as she has been sold to a rich man who has paid a lot of money for her. Hiraman’s heart is shattered, as he watches Hirabai go away from him. And he makes a third vow (Teesri Kasam) that he will never carry a nautanki dancer as a passenger in his bullock cart.
After his first foray in low budget parallel cinema film, ‘Us Ki Kahani’, this film was the debut for Basu Bhattacharya as a director in mainline commercial cinema. His handling of the storyline and the depiction of the simple life of rural India is very sensitive, soulful and sensible. Everything about this film is really great – the direction, the performance of the lead pair, the music and the songs. Each and every song of this film is a memorable one. From a critical perspective, this is a much admired and rewarded creation. Alas, but the initial box office reaction was less than interesting. And despite the President’s Gold Medal, and the Best Film Award at the Moscow Film Festival, the film was a disaster at the box office. This film is one of those few cases, where it became more popular and did more business on reruns.
The production banner is Image Makers, and the main star case includes Raj Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Dulari, Iftekhar, Asit Sen, CS Dubey, Krishna Dhawan, Keshto Mukherjee, Vishwa Mehra, Samar Chatterjee, Pardesi, Hangal (AK), Shivji Bhai, Pachhi, Nobendu Ghosh, Rehana, Balbir, Fazlu, Savita, Chandulal, and many more. The acting credits include the name ‘Shailendra’ also.
A tragic outcome of this film’s initial runs, was the passing away of Shailendra. Sadly it happened after the release of the film but before the honors were announced. A poet and a lyricist all his life, he got bitten by the producer bug, and against all advise, went ahead to make this film. The general notion is that he passed away because of the accumulated losses on the production of this film. This idea may be partially true, that the failure of this film and the danger of looming debts may have contributed to Shailendra’s sudden demise. But then there are other factors also in play, invoking the hand of destiny, because it took a convergence of more than one factors for this event to occur. The fact is that Shailendra’s health was already acute on account of his excessive drinking for years, and he was already suffering from ailments related to this habit. In my effort to find out more about this sad episode, I have come across even more sad circumstances, about the relationship that Shailendra had with Raj Kapooor. The team of S-J – Shailendra – Hasrat is what made the RK banner click so wonderfully with the masses in the 50s and 60s. Publicly, Raj Kapoor was all gaga over this team, but the fact is that in personal and internal dealings, Raj Kapoor had always been a very keen and heartless businessman, eventually given over to only money, and the success of his films. There are stories that talk about his near ruthless dis-engagements with artists who were not “saleable” any more. People talk about Nargis having made a very wise and timely choice in getting married to the person she did. It is not a well known fact that Nargis was being manipulated financially, and she had invested a lot of her own money into RK Films.
Raj Kapoor claimed Shailendra to be a bosom friend, but when it came to working for the first film his friend was producing, he was completely businesslike and star-like. He charged Shailendra as much as he would normally be charging anyone else. His work behavior was as good or bad as with any other producer. The film accumulated lot of production losses just on the delays, mostly on account of Raj Kapoor playing the “star” and coming for shooting on his own time. Despite all this, it would still have been good, had he provided support to his friend when the chips were down. When the things took a turn for the worse after the film’s release, people say that proverbially the last straw was Raj Kapoor turning away from helping his ‘bosom’ friend in need. That broke the spirit of Shailendra.
Coming to the song. The words are congruent with the persona and the intent of a ‘mujra’. As I listened to this song again carefully, somehow the ‘Pakeezah’ (1971) song “Inhi Logon Ne Le Leenah Dupatta Mera” started to play in the back of my mind. I find similarities in how the reference to male figure spans across multiple persona. The female protagonist is presenting a view of her life, wherein there are multiple male figures being addressed. The words carry strong undertones of flirtation. These two songs somehow remind me of living in a world in which the pleasures of a gentleman are so paramount that the lady is required to present even her plight in very vivacious and exuberant tone. The allusion in this song is by the refrain “. . .lootaa re lootaa. . .”, and in the ‘Paakezaah’ song it is by the refrain “. . .le leenaah duppataa mera. . .”. Let me reserve my emotional upsurge and my commentary till here. 🙂 😦
The music and the rendering of course is very endearing. The score by Shankar-Jaikishan and the singing voice of Asha Bhosle have made these rustic verses into a wonderful song. Online, I have been able to locate only its audio. I am sure many of us are familiar with this song. Still, it makes a wonderful hearing. Enjoy.
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota, mere sainyyaan ne loota
O jeez, a falling star
Broke away from heavens somewhere
Its booty plundered, by my darling
pehlaa taara atariyaa pe toota
daanton taley mein ne daaba angootthaa
loota re loota, saanwariyaa ne loota
The first star, it fell on the rooftop
I bit my own thumb in amazement
(The first star)
Its booty plundered, by my lover
doosra taara bajariyaa mein toota
dekha hai sab ne ke mela sa chhoota
loota re loota, sipahiyaa ne loota
Ah, the second star,
It fell in the market place
In the surge of the crowds
One and all saw
Its booty plundered, by the policeman
teesra taara phul bagiyaa mein toota
phoolon se poochhe koi hai kaun jhhottha
loota re loota, darogaa ne loota
And the third start,
It fell in the garden
Ask the flowers,
They will tell you who is lying
(Ah, yes, the third star)
Its booty plundered, by the inspector
NOTES: The lyrics obviously carry more than one meanings, as is the case in many such songs.
The policeman figure is quite a popular expression in the folklore (from north India that I am familiar with). The lover, the husband is sometimes accounted for as policeman (sipaahi, sipahiyaa) or as an inspector (daroga, thaanedaar, kotwaal), representing a position, a figure of authority, as an enforcer, as the master of the “prison” wherein the female protagonist is figuratively imprisoned.
The falling star is simply a figurative episode at one level, but at another level, it is the submission of one young heart to another.
The act of plundering alluded to is the plundering of the heart. The allusions can be extended further to deeper insinuations, but I will reserve my write up here. 🙂
Audio
Video
Song-Haay ghazab kahin taara tootaa (Teesri Kasam)(1966) Singer-Asha Bhonsle, Lyrics-Shailendra, MD-Shankar Jaikishan
Lyrics
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
pehlaa taara atariyaa pe toota
pehlaa taara atariyaa pe toota
daanton taley main ne daaba angootthaa
daanton taley main ne daaba angootthaa
loota re loota
saanwariyaa ne loota
aaa aaaa aaaaa aaaaaa
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
doosra taara bajariyaa mein toota
doosra taara bajariyaa mein toota
dekha hai sab ne ke mela sa chhoota
dekha hai sab ne ke mela sa chhoota
loota re loota
sipahiyaa ne loota
aaa aaaa aaaaa aaa aaa
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
teesra taara phul bagiyaa mein toota
teesra taara phul bagiyaa mein toota
phoolon se poochhe koi hai kaun jhhottha
phoolon se poochhe koi hai kaun jhhottha
loota re loota
darogaa ne loota
aaa aaaa aaa aaa aaa aaa
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
loota re loota
mere sainyyaan ne loota
haaye gajab kahin taara toota
20 Responses to "Haay ghazab kahin taara tootaa"
May 5, 2012 at 10:27 am
Video link showing the story writer Phanishwar Nath “Renu”`s home:
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May 5, 2012 at 10:52 am
with eight songs posted, are there still some more songs left to be posted from this movie ?
May 5, 2012 at 11:07 am
I believe there are 12 songs in the movie, including 1-2 of small snippet types that may or may not be in the geet cosh.
May 5, 2012 at 11:27 am
1)maare gaye gulfaam, aji haan maare gaye gulfaam-asha bhonsle
2)Hai mohabbat bahut kuchh tumse hai:Mubarak begum nautank song
Both songs are picturised I think.
I think these 2 songs are left to be posted
May 5, 2012 at 11:37 am
There is a female version of Duniya Bananewale too. Also, there is one more song Kissa Hota Hai Shuru in the movie, havent been able to identify the singer.
May 5, 2012 at 11:50 am
Whether that song is “Kissa-e-laila-o-qais???,
That song seems like a Nautanki song,like the one sung by Mubarak begum.
But these 2 songs are in a full fledged song format I think.
May 5, 2012 at 11:59 am
Mubarak Begum song is also not on LP. So officially there are only 9 songs, but if u count Mubarak Begum song, Kissa (nautanki), duniya bananewale (Lata), that would be 12 songs.
May 5, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Atul ji,
There are only 9 songs as per HFGK.
Only the song that is remaining is-
Maare gaye Gulfam-Lata
-AD
May 6, 2012 at 5:34 am
That is correct as can also be shown on LP. Prakashji and I were just discussing “other 3 songs picturized in the movie”, which may or may not be part of the scope of this work here.
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We like to discuss all songs here whether the songs were picturised/ not picturised and also whether the song records were issued/not issued.
May 5, 2012 at 10:53 am
To you and me, people outside the realm of films that is, Raj Kapoor not helping out Shailendra may come as a shock but that’s life in tinseltown—-especially Bollywood! Recently, after the sad demise of Achla Sachdev, with the honourable exception of Amitabh Bachhan, no other star had the time or interest to even utter a few words of condolence!
So, Raj Kapoor’s behavior shouldn’t shock us. Most of them talk about professionalism but they may hardly know how to spell the word. ,
May 5, 2012 at 11:05 am
Amitabh Bachchan did not have time to attend Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s funeral. Shahrukh Khan did not even call Raj Kanwar’s family after he passed away, when it was Raj Kanwar who gave him one of his first big breaks with Deewana (92). That’s life.
May 5, 2012 at 11:11 am
When Raj Kapoor was notified that Nargis had survived the fire accident that occurred on the sets of Mother India, he is supposed to have said famously, “abhi tak zinda hai? mar nahi gayi?”. When Nargis was notified in the hospital of such event, she is supposed to have said, “Hamari Dua Se Upar Aaye Ho, Is Liye Bud-Dua Nahi Denge, Lekin Aaj Se Dua Dena Bandh”.
May 5, 2012 at 1:49 pm
‘bluefire’-ji, Nargis had class. Raj Kapoor was crass! The famous Hollywood actor/comedian George Burns once famously remarked, “All the sincerity in Hollywood can be collected and shoved into the navel of a gnat! There would still be room for some more!”
In Bollywood, I presume, all the sincerity can be collected and shoved into the navel of an amoeba!
May 6, 2012 at 6:16 pm
What our readers have said about the so called ‘professionalism(read stinginess/kanjooshi) of Raj Kapoor is right. Leave all others,but his first fav actress Nargis too suffered due to this.
Zahida,d/o Akhtar hussain,brother of Nargis,and an actress herself,said in an interview to Jitendra kothari-
” Pappo(Nargis) was so attached to Raj that she used to refuse outside offers.Ours was a joint family and Pappo was the biggest earner.My father was a Director,Uncle Anwar hussain was an actor and I had not yet started film acting.We all were very unhappy about Pappo’s attachment to Raj,because we knew he was using her for his own benefit.Luckily,Pappo also slowly started realising how much Raj was earning,how many cars he had,how much property he had acquired and she was paid a pittance comparatively.
She decided to slowly distance herself from Raj and RK immediately realised this.He came running to patch up but Pappo told him,’Enough is enough.This is the end’.”
-AD
November 8, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Here’s the mubarak begum/shankar-shambhu song (2 songs, depending on how u look at it), which is filmed in the movie but wasnt part of the official soundtrack:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiQI8G-nusw
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
May 5, 2012 at 10:19 am
No.oo…I have seen the video of this song. Or it is my wahem. How come there are no video clip of this popular song???
Sudhirji
Informative post, superb translation, thanks for the lyrics
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May 5, 2012 at 10:29 am
Now that you have mentioned it, I have managed to locate the video of this song.
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May 5, 2012 at 10:51 am
Atulji Thanks
You have done it again
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