Bas ek chup si lagi hai
Posted on: December 7, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog
Here now is the fourth and final song from the film ‘Sannata’. Earlier this year, in June, when I had started posting the songs from this film, I did not realize it will be almost six months by the time all the songs will be posted. Just four songs. June, July, October and now today. Four simply sublime songs that have come from the pen of Gulzar and the baton of Hemant Kumar.
‘Sannata’, released in 1966, is produced under the banner of GC Films, Bombay and is directed by Mohinder Sabharwaal. The star cast includes Tanuja, Anil Chatterjee, Veena, Raj Mehra, David, Asit Sen, Poornima, Janakidas, Protima Devi, KN Singh, Ravikant, Bhola, Jugnu, Durga Singh, Vishnu Dutt etc. As per comments by Nitin Shah on one of the songs posted earlier, this film is an espionage film.
This is one of the earliest films for Gulzar as a song writer, in fact his sixth film of the career, as per the available filmography. Each one of the songs in this film is a priceless gem of lyrics craft. Gulzar is a master of words play, and all the songs in this film are marvels of his mastery. Unlike many other writers, the words he chooses are unimaginably simple. But the phrases and lines that he conjures with those simple words, carry meanings of profound depths that simply boggle the mind. And one continuously wonders, at the incomparable art of this poet.
This particular song is a twin song. One version is sung by Lata Mangeshkar, and the male version is sung by Hemant Da himself. There is no difference in the lyrics of the two versions. However, there is a subtle but a noticeable difference in the music arrangement for this song. As it is, the accompanying music is minimal. There is some orchestration that
accompanies the Lata version of the song. But in the Hemant version, even that orchestration is down to absolute minimum. The most noticeable part of the music is the prominent percussion rhythm that accompanies the singing voice – it is simply superb.
Enjoy this fourth offering from this film, a twin song, sung by Lata and Hemant Da.
bas ek chup si lagi hai, nahin udaas nahin
kahin pe saans ruki hai, nahin udaas nahin
Just silence it is
That the mind favors
For now
No, it is not sadness
Just a pause in breathing it is
No, it is not sadness, I assure
<em.koi anokhi nahin, aisi zindagi lekin khoob na ho
mili jo, khoob mili hai, nahin udaas nahin
This life (bestowed by Him)
Well, not so strange it is (Is it?)
But pray let it not be too much
Ah but still, it seems
This life, is an excess
No, it is not sadness, I assure
sehar bhi ye raat bhi, dupehar bhi mili lekin
hamee ne sham chuni, nahin udaas nahin
The choice was allowed
(I could have selected)
The dawn, the night
Or even the high noon of midday
Yet
I myself picked the dusk
No, it is not sadness, I assure
wo daastaan jo, hum ne kahi bhi, hum ne likhi
aaj wo khud se suni hai, nahin udaas nahin
Ah, that tale
That overbearing tale of life
That was once narrated by me
I had written it, myself
But today
I am hearing it, once again
From myself
No, it is not sadness, I assure
Surely, it is not sadness, I assure
(Hemant Version)
(Lata Version)
Song-Bas ek chup si lagi hai (Sannata)(1966) Singer-Hemant Kumar / Lata, Lyrics-Gulzar, MD-Hemant Kumar
Lyrics
bas ek
chup si lagi hai
nahin udaas nahin
kahin pe
saans ruki hai
nahin udaas nahin
bas ek
chup si lagi hai
koi anokhi nahin
aisi zindagi lekin
khoob na ho o
koi anokhi nahin
aisi zindagi lekin
khoob na ho
mili jo
khoob mili hai
nahin udaas nahin
bas ek
chup si lagi hai
sehar bhi ye raat bhi
dupehar bhi mili lekin
sehar bhi ye raat bhi
dupehar bhi mili lekin
hamee ne
shaam chuni
hamee ne
shaam chuni hai
nahin udaas nahin
bas ek
chup si lagi hai
wo daastaan jo
hum ne kahi bhi
hum ne likhi. . .
wo daastaan jo
hum ne kahi bhi
hum ne likhi. . .
aaj wo
khud se suni hai
nahin udaas nahin
bas ek
chup si lagi hai
8 Responses to "Bas ek chup si lagi hai"
December 7, 2012 at 8:38 am
Nice soft numbers in the movie. And time to say… Yippeeee! another movie joins the ranks of movies where all songs have been covered. Thank you Sudhir Ji.
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December 7, 2012 at 10:38 am
Sudhir ji
Thank you for my favourite song, post, and above all translation.
Regards
Prakash
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December 7, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Sudhir-ji, thank you very much. I just love this song. Yes, there’s a subtle difference in the orchestration. Lata’s version is ‘westernised’. We can hear the beautiful notes of a piano.
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December 7, 2012 at 7:19 pm
By the way, I forgot to thank you for the superb translation of the lyrics of this wonderful tandem song
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December 10, 2012 at 3:54 am
Sadanand ji, Prakash ji, Pradeep ji, Mani ji,
Thanks for your messages of appreciation. Yes, a gem of a song that is my favorite also.
Rgds
Sudhir
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June 26, 2014 at 9:39 am
Beautifully breathless .I One feels the depth of silence in the pauses…as the song carries on.Well translated and many thanks
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November 12, 2022 at 8:30 am
Beautiful coverage. Just wondering if any good soul could post the notation in Hindi of the song “Bas ek chup si Lagi Hai”. Thousand thanks. Vinesh
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
December 7, 2012 at 7:41 am
Oh! such a beautiful twin song. I am hearing after a long long time despite having a 78 RPM record of this song with me.
Thanks for bringing them to the notice of the blog readers.
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