Maut Tu Ek Kavita Hai
Posted on: May 8, 2015
- In: Amitabh Bachchan singing for himself | Amitabh Bachchan songs | Devnagri script lyrics by Sudhir | Guest posts | Lyrics contributed by readers | philosophical song | poetry based song | Post by Sudhir | Rajesh Khanna present (without lip syncing) | Rajesh Khanna songs | Songs of 1960s (1961 to 1970) | Songs of 1970 | Translation by Sudhir | Translations by readers | Yearwise breakup of songs
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
When ‘Anand’ was released in theatres in 1970, I was still in school. I remember I did not get a chance to see this film on the big screen in the first run. It would be later re runs that I got to see this film. Being still not very involved with cinema and music, the best fare for us used to be what we could see on Doordarshan. Rather, whatever was telecast on Doordarshan was always the quality stuff in my mind. So having watched films like ‘Sikander’ (1941) and ‘Roti’ (1942) and ’Baazi’ (1951) on TV, the micro mind of mine carried them as benchmarks and anything that we would see on posters and billboards going to and from school, would be just so so. I remember, when we came to know about this film ‘Anand’, the names Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan did not mean much to us. Rajesh Khanna, to some extent, as we had all heard the “Mere Sapnon Ki Raani Kab Aayegi Tu” that became popular the year earlier.
But who was this tall and lanky fellow? ‘Saat Hindusatni’ was still not in the awareness periphery, that would come later. So reading through ‘Filmfare’ and ‘Madhuri’ that were regular magazines at home, we got know that a film titled ‘Anand’ is being released, and got to see the photos of this dark colored lanky young man, who did not impress at all at first. In our class, we had joke going around – “Ab to filmon ke naam aise bhi aane lagey hain” (These days, such is sorry state of film titles) with reference to the title ‘Anand’ of course. “Achcha, pataa hai, ab to filmen aayengi jinke naam honge ‘Gussa’, ‘Dukh’ (now we can expect to see films with the names ‘Anger’, ‘Sadness’ etc.) Of course I did not have a Geet Kosh to refer to at that time, and the brain was not informed enough about all the films that had by then been produced in the industry.
The first Amitabh film that I got to see would be ‘Abhimaan’ three years later. It was a family outing. Then of course, ‘Namak Haraam’ and ‘Zanzeer’ in the same year. Even at that time, say 1973 onwards, he was averaging five to six films a year. Of course I was not paying too much attention. Coming back to ‘Anand’, I saw this film in the morning show re runs, after I had come to college, and cutting the morning classes to go watch a film, whatever film, was just the thing to do. 🙂 So ‘Anand’ was one of those ‘whatever films’ that I saw while my professors were sweating it out for our sake in the class rooms, and some of us were such enlightened souls that the better option was to sit through a film in an air cooled theater and relax.
But then ‘Anand’ turned out to be not a ‘whatever film’ for me. After the first viewing, I would see it many times again over the years. The entire picturization is such a relaxed homely affair, and the characterizations are down to earth and seem real enough to relate to. Even the imaginary Murarilal and Jaichand – ‘. . .yaad hai, Qutab Minar pe beer pilaa ke out kar diya tha. . .” :D. Then my mind goes back to the much unimpressive and low key launch, as far as I can remember. This would be the first Hrishikesh Mukherji film that I became aware of. Already I would have seen ‘Musafir’ (1957) and ‘Anuradha’ (1960) on TV, without being aware of this eminent director. With this film, his name became a fixture in my mind, and I would not miss any of his films after that.
I am digressing. Let me return to the main thread. Even the first time that I saw him in this film, I was not really impressed. The Rajesh Khanna factor was big in the air and in the media those days. The first impressions of being a supporting actor continued. But the one dialogue on which the film ends has always kept with me. As Dr. Bhaskar is ending his acceptance speech for the literary award he has got, the last sentence that he says is “Anand maraa nahin. Anand marte nahin”. (Anand has not died. Anand never dies.) there is a relaxed conviction in his voice as he says these lines. And the listener is convinced simply hearing it once. And as this dialogue plays in he mind, it digs in deeper with much more meaning and profundity, than is apparent on the surface. Now, whenever I see this scene again, and hear this dialogue in his voice, it brings tears of a profound realization to my eyes.
Over the years, this film has grown on me, as has the characterization one by one. No tinsel town parties, no zippy songs of romance or club room, no cloak and dagger stuff – the nearest one gets to violence is Dara Singh teaching a lesson to the roadside romeos in the locality. The hospital scenes are cut back; Anand does not want to stay in a hospital. Everything is homely and close to heart. Story telling does not get any better and any more real than this.
Some very interesting trivia about this film. Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh were not the original casting choices. The first choice of actors was Kishore Kumar and Mehmood. It is said that some trivial misundersanding between Hrishikesh Mukherji and Kishore Kumar resulted in Hrishikesh Mukherji deciding not to have Kishore Kumar in the film. More things changed, and then Mehmood also opted out. Apparently, Kishore Kumar was to play the role of Anand, and Mehmood was to play the role of Dr. Bhaskar Bannerji. Just as well, though. All happens for good. Another interesting thing which I myself discovered somewhat recently. Hrishikesh Mukherji created the character of Anand based on his friend Raj Kapoor. At one time, Raj Kapoor was seriously ill, and many thought he would not survive. And also that Raj Kapoor used to call Hrishikesh Mukherji by the name Babu Moshai.
Coming to this poem. Arguably, the very first lyrical presentation by Amitabh on screen. He only got to see Rajesh Khanna sing the songs in this film. Interesting side note – Salil Da expressed some courage not to have a Kishore song in a Rajesh Khanna film, so close after the success of ‘Aradhana’. In the earlier film ‘Saat Hindustani’, the songs were all in the background. In that film, Amitabh, in the role of Anwar Ali, a young sha’ir from Bihar, renders one she’r in the scenes where the six revolutionaries are traveling to Goa in a train.
aandhi aaye ya toofaan koi gham nahin
hai yahi aakhri imtihaan saathiyo
ek taraf maut hai ek taraf zindagi
beech se le chalo karwaan saathiyo
The words of this short poem are written by Gulzar. The rendering comes close to the end of the film. Everyone is familiar with the delayed recording trick that is used in the last scene, as the sound of Anand’s voice completely shakes up Dr. Bhaskar, as he is imploring his lifeless body to literally return from the realm of death. That is one of the classic scenes in Hindi cinema. The ‘unplanned’ preparation for that scene happens in this video clip, as Anand readies himself to deliver his dialogue.
The lines exquisite, as can be expected from Gulzar
maut tu ek kavita hai
mujhse ik kavita ka waada hai
milegi mujhko
Death
Thou art a poem
I have been promised a poem
I know I will be meeting it
doobti nabzon mein jab dard ko neend aane lagey
zard sa chehra liye chaand ufaq tak pahunche
As the pulse starts to fade away
And the tremors of pain and agony
Are slowly subsiding
As if falling to sleep
The moon with ashen face
Slowly creeping towards the horizon
din abhi paani mein ho raat kinaare ke qareeb
na andhera na ujala ho na abhi raat na din
The day awaiting its dawn, in the water
And the night still lagging on the shores
It is neither day, nor night
Niether light, nor dark
jism jab khatm ho aur rooh ko jab saans aaye
mujhse ik kavita ka waada hai
milegi mujhko
When this body ends its journey
And the soul starts to breathe
I have been promised a poem
I know I will be meeting it
And so, the first lyrical rendering by Amitabh, in his own voice, from more than four decades ago. The thin face, very fresh, not very confident. Ah but the voice – it is the voice that gets you. Listen, to the beginning emergence of a legendary career.
Song – Maut Tu Ek Kavita Hai (Anand) (1970) Singer – Amitabh Bachchan, Lyrics – Gulzar, MD –
Lyrics
maut tu ek kavita hai
mujhse ik kavita ka waada hai
milegi mujhko
doobti nabzon mein jab
dard ko neend aane lagey
zard sa chehra liye
chaand ufaq tak pahunche
din abhi paani mein ho
raat kinaare ke qareeb
na andhera na ujala ho
na abhi raat na din
jism jab khatm ho
aur rooh ko jab saans aaye
mujhse ik kavita ka waada hai
milegi mujhko
———————————————————
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
———————————————————
मौत तू एक कविता है
मुझसे इक कविता का वादा है
मिलेगी मुझको
डूबती नबज़ों में जब
दर्द को नींद आने लगे
ज़र्द सा चेहरा लिए
चाँद उफक़ तक पहुंचे
दिन अभी पानी में हो
रात किनारे के क़रीब
ना अंधेरा ना उजाला हो
ना अभी रात ना दिन
जिस्म जब खत्म हो
और रूह को जब सांस आए
मुझसे इक कविता का वादा है
मिलेगी मुझको
2 Responses to "Maut Tu Ek Kavita Hai"
May 8, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Sudhir ji
Shabd nahin mil rahe hain,
mere Amitabh ke baare mein itnaa achcha likhaa hai aapne…….
kya kahoon…….
prakash
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
May 8, 2015 at 6:34 pm
Sir, many thanks for this ‘special’ post !!
Congratulations in advance for your 900th post too.
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