Play With Colours – Holi Aayi Holi Aayi Dekho Holi Aayi Re – Mashaal

Holi – the festival of great joy and enthusiasm. A festival which is celebrated to bring people together. The significance of the festival being the victory of goodness over the evil. The colours signify mixing with people of different background and races. They signify the exuberance of the festival. The joy of living together. Whether with strangers or your near and dear ones, it teaches us to enjoy the festival called life. It is associated with the legends triumph of Vishnu devotee Prahlad over his evil father Hiranyakashapu and aunt Holika. It is also the day when Shiva opened his third eye to burn Kama, for making him fall in love with Parvati. Amongst all the festivals in India, Holi is the most boisterous and vibrant one. Holi waves goodbye to winter season and ushers in spring season with its spectrum of colours. It is also known as the festival of colours or the festival of sharing love. Holi is a two day festival which starts on the Purnima (Full Moon day) in the month of Falgun which falls somewhere between end of February and Mid of March.
Hindi movies have always taken help of festivals and the celebrations to depict various emotions on screen. Holi, the vibrant festival, is often shown under the layers of romance, enmity, desires or even forbidden desires, intoxication, devotion etc. Yash Chopra, the romance moghul is an expert while peeling these layers through a Holi song. A feature which became an integral part of his films. Be it Silsila, Darr, Mohabbatein, a Holi song conveyed a range of emotions. Mashaal (1984) directed by Yash Chopra had one such Holi song. High spirited and lively as the festival itself. It shows many colours of human emotions throughout the song. There’s teasing, fun, romance, regard, admiration, praise, loneliness and togetherness. All these layers shown in the picturization and the lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

O holi aayi, holi aayi dekho holi aayi re
Khelo khelo rang hai, koi apne sang hai bheega bheega ang hai
O holi aayi, holi aayi dekho holi aayi re
Behaki behaki chal hai, chehra nila laal hai, diwane kya haal hai
Ho maston par hai masti chhayi dekho holi aayi re…

Mashaal is based on a Marathi novel Asrunchi Zaali Phule (meaning Tears Which Turned Into Flowers). Before Mashaal, this novel was adapted on screen as Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool (1969) by Satyen Bose, starring Ashok Kumar, Deb Mukherjee, Alka and Pran. It also fetched a Filmfare Best Story Award to the Marathi writer Vasant Kanetkar. It is also adapted as a well known Marathi play with the same name. The original play had well known Marathi actors Chittaranjan Kolhatkar and Prabhkar Panshikar.
A story of an honest, upright man who runs a newspaper and exposes the evils of the society, who turns to crime for exacting revenge. Starring Dilip Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor and Rati Agnihotri, this particular song celebrating Holi is rendered by Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor. It begins with typical Marathi dholki beats to showcase the pomp and show of the festival. As we progress towards the stanzas, we can see different hues of emotions and feelings laced in this song.

Jo laye rang jeevan mein,
Use holi me paya hai
Bataun kya tumhein yaaron kise maine bulaya hai
Ya mat bula ya bata
Dil ki baatein na chhupa
Duniya se chori hai kya
Ye ladaki hai ya kali maayi, dekho holi aayi re
O holi aayi, holi aayi dekho holi aayi re…

Yahi din tha yahi mausam
Zuban jab humne kholi thi
Kahan ab kho gaye wo din
Ki jab apni bhi holi thi
Tum ho to har raat diwali,
Har din meri holi hai
Arre ye kya chakkar hai bhai dekho holi aayi re
O holi aayi, holi aayi dekho holi aayi re

Hamara kaun duniya mein
Yahan jo hai paraya hai
Magar apna laga koi
Ye aisa kaun aaya hai
Itna kya majboor hai
Dil kyun gham se choor hai
Tu hi sabse duur hai
Dilon ko paas bahut le aayi dekho holi aayi re
O holi aayi holi aayi dekho holi aayi re

Music by Hridaynath Mangeshkar might not be new to those who are well acquainted with its original Marathi version from the National award winning Marathi film Jait Re Jait (1977) which was produced by Usha Mangeshkar and directed by Dr. Jabbar Patel. Jambhul piklya jhaada khaali dhol kunacha vaajaji rendered by Asha Bhonsle is one of the all time hit song is picturised on Smita Patil. Based on the typical folk music, the entire album touched an all time high status and the songs are still popular amongst the Marathi audience, though the film was a box office disaster.