Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas – Blackmail – A Sweet Thirst

Pal pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho
Jeevan meethi pyaas ye kehti ho….

An extremely passionate number by the duo Kalyanji Anandji. Sometime back this talented duo was given a tribute on Hungama.com at GIMA awards through various artists of today where they sang this soaked in love number. Check out the video –

The featuring artists – Hariharan, Sudesh Bhonsale, Shaan, Abhijeet, Daler Mehndi, Pritam, Arijit Singh, Amit Trivedi, Sriram, Armaan Malik, Harshdeep Kaur and Vasudha Sharma. And I’m sorry to say none could bring out the beauty of the song the way Kishore Kumar did!! Of course there’s no comparison between him and rest of them. But then what is it that makes him so different from the other artists. Specially when one knows that rest of them are trained while he was untrained (?). Music sometimes is not about the notes, scales, tunes etc but also about the feel of the song. And not how passionately the artist has sung it, but how passionate he made the listeners feel while listening to it. It is about romancing the microphone in front of the artist. Kishore Kumar certainly had oodles of love for that microphone. Look at the way he has poured all his love in this song. Main saans leta hoon, teri khushboo aati hai…. Well, the other artists take a breath while saying that word ‘saans’ while Kishore Kumar makes the listeners take in a breath by the throw of his words (put on your headphones and try this). No matter how many aalaps you take or how many harkats you add or how many remixes you do, you cannot weave magic until you bring out the feelings in a listener. Kishore Kumar not only absorbs himself in the song but makes you absorb in it. You are completely submerged. But then isn’t the song all about absorption? Absorbed in love, absorbed in thoughts, absorbed in dreams. Absorbed so much in the longing that it makes your life a sweet thirst (jeevan meethi pyaas) and you enjoy seeking it.

Blackmail (1973), a thriller with Vijay Anand signature all over it. But this thriller, unlike other Vijay Anand thrillers is in a subdued form since he has upped the romantic quotient in the film for a change. Kailash Gupta (Dharmendra) and Jeevan (Shatrughan Sinha) are friends, both in love with Asha (Rakhee). While Jeevan is a show off, Kailash is the mushy, shy guy. Unaware that Jeevan and Asha are having an affair, Kailash confesses to Jeevan about his feelings for Asha. Dr. Khurana (Madan Puri), Kailash’s uncle has invented a solar energy formula which Jeevan wants to steal and sell it in the international market. He sets up a plan to use Asha. To thrust Asha and Kailash together to get married and steal the formula through Asha. He arranges to meet Asha in the garden and instead of himself, he sends Kailash. After a few initial uneasy moments, Kailash discloses his feelings to Asha, including all the letters he had written over the years but didn’t have guts to post them. Asha is touched by his sincerity as she goes through those letters and starts falling in love with him. A woman falling in love, beautifully picturised by that inimitable Vijay Anand touch. He always has another story running parallel with the main theme of the song, doesn’t he? Here too, while the theme (the lyrics) is the man absorbed in a woman’s love while he shows how the woman gets absorbed in his love slowly and gradually. Conveying both the messages in his unique way. And that slow and gradual way is shown by the manner in which the letters are addressed – Priya Miss Mehta, Priya Asha ji, Priya Asha, Asha and ultimately Meri Asha!! Rakhee’s mesmerising hazel eyes holds every word in those letters without blinking. The guitar played in the background gives the hint of her feelings unfurling. The violins and the accordion show her florescent heart while Kishore Kumar’s voice sap melts in our ears and heart.

Pal pal dil ke paas
Tum rehti ho
Jeevan meethi pyaas
Ye kehti ho….

Every moment of my life is occupied by your thoughts, my heart yearns for you like a sweet thirst since it brings me closer to you. With every passing moment, you occupy my heart more and more.
The tabla seems to be as amused as Rakhee reading those letters.
The accordion again bellows beautifully while the guitar keeps up with the love haze forming daydreams. And another letter which signs off as – Agar tum chaho toh – Tumhara Kailash – That’s so romantic!! She is still on the brink of the feelings while he’s completely into it.

Har shaam aankhon par tera aanchal lehraaye
Har raat yaadon ki baraat le aaye
Main saans leta hun teri khushboo aati hai
Ek mehka mehka sa paigham laati hai
Mere dil ki dhadkan bhi tere geet gaati hai
Pal pal dil ke paas….

Submerged in your thoughts, each evening reminds me of your presence, each night a stream of your memories flow through. Every breath knows your fragrance and the message it brings, every heartbeat sings your song, reminds me of your presence in my life.
Ahh the handsome, shy eyed Dharmendra and those rose petals in the letter!! You almost sniff love there. Rakhee gets attracted towards him more and more, with each passing letter, the level of her absorption increases, just like his. Making her uneasy and joyous at the same time. Identical to the accordion that plays in the interlude.

Kal tujhko dekha tha maine apne aangan mein
Jaise keh rahi tum mujhe baandh lo bandhan mein
Ye kaisa rishta hai ye kaise sapne hain
Begaane hoke bhi kyun lagte apne hain
Main soch mein rehta hun darr darr ke kehta hun
Pal pal dil ke paas….

My astrayed thoughts saw you asking me to fasten our bond of togetherness. What kind of strong unknown bond is this? An unknown person awhile ago looks like my own now.
Drowning in his thoughts, going through his letters over and over, smiling to herself, blushing at times, Rakhee is now as deeply in love with Dharmendra as he is with her. A school boyish Dharmendra at his desk in the last stanza is sure to steal your heart.

Tum sochogi kyun itna main tumse pyar karun
Tum samjhogi deewana main bhi iqraar karun
Deewano ki ye baatein deewane jaante hain
Jalne mein kya mazaa hai parwaane jaante hain
Tum yun hi jalaati rehna aa aa kar khwabon mein
Pal pal dil ke paas….

Crazy in love, am I? Yes definitely. You will become aware of my craziness when you start loving me in the same manner. Just like the moth drawn towards the flame knows the happiness of being engulfed in that flame. Losing oneself in love. I wish to lose myself again and again in your love even if it is through the dreams. Please continue to ignite my passion. With every passing moment you occupy my heart more and more.
The sweet thirst becomes mutual towards the end of the song. Rakhee is not only absorbed in love but brimming with it. It flows in the form of tears from her eyes. Smitten by his poetry and love. Emerging in her subconscious mind every now and then as she did in his, peeping over in her thoughts.
The combination of Kalyanji-Anandji and Kishore Kumar have given us some top of the line songs and this certainly is one of them. With Rajendra Krishna penning those absorbed in love thoughts via letters, he has kept the poetry in a conversational form. Progression of love through letters, love letters, which increase the sweet thirst of love within, grows all over you, just as this song!!