Different Yet Same – Different Stanzas Of A Song Composed Differently

By Deepa | February 20, 2018

Hindi film songs have always maintained a definite pattern, a structure in which the songs are made. Majority of the songs have a fixed pattern. The songs generally follow the structure as – the prelude, mukhda, interludes and the antara. A song begins with a prelude. The music which sets in the mood of the forthcoming song. By listening to the music we can generally identify whether you are going to hear a happy, sad, romantic, sentimental song. Followed by a mukhda. Mukhda which literally means face, indeed gives the introduction of the song, its subject and the mood, in words or lyrics. This mukhda keeps repeating after every antara. The antara forms the soul of the song. With some expressive words in the antara, the poets, lyricists often pour out their hearts. The interludes sets a bridge across the mukhda and the antara. So we can say, in a way the interludes connect mukhda with the antara. Thus, whole body of a song is formed. The song structure or the song body is mainly divided as – music arrangements (consists of all the instruments and how and where it should be placed), music composition (which forms the main body) and the lyrics which form the main subject or the song’s character.
Even if this pattern is followed in almost all the songs in Hindi Film Music, each song has got its own identity. There are few songs which do not follow the usual pattern and fall in the category of being unique. We usually hear the songs where the all the antaras have same tune. But can you recall songs which have different tunes for different antaras? Our tunesmiths have given such songs over the years including a few examples of Raagmalas featured in the movies, because of different ragas and their pattern.

An example of Raagmala –

Apart from the Raagmalas, here are a few examples of such unique songs –

1. Ye mehlon ye takhton ye taajon ki duniya – Pyasa (1957) – Giving this as the first example, since it can be one of a kind song in Hindi Film Music. Sheer genius of S D Burman, the song has 5 stanzas and the tempo of the song increases with each stanza. Till Rafi reaches the coda, the agony is at its peak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z6Lr0JYAro

2. Jawan Hai Mohabbat – Anmol Ghadi (1946) – Music director Naushad, rendered by Noor Jehan.

3. Lara lappa lara lappa – Ek Thi Ladki (1949) – A peppy song composed by Vinod Eric Robert and rendered by Lata Mangeshkar and G M Durrani.

4. Seene mein sulagte hain armaan – Tarana (1951) – A beautiful duet by Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mahmood, composed by Anil Biswas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk_0ML7iuVE

5. Raat bhi hai kuch bheegi bheegi – Mujhe Jeene Do (1963) – The quintessential Jaidev – Asha song, lyrics Sahir Ludhianvi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sDeAi8RYMM

6. Ye waadiyan ye fizaayen – Aaj Aur Kal (1963) – The romantically beautiful Rafi number composed by Ravi.

7. Bhor aayi gaya andhiyara – Bawarchi (1972) – A lovely semi classical number composed by Madan Mohan, rendered by Laxmi Shankar, Nirmala Devi, Harindranath Chattopadhyay and Manna Dey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3GNgiOL9hI

8. Savere ka sooraj – Ek Baar Muskura Do (1972) – Rendered by Kishore Kumar, composed by O P Nayyar.

9. Mausam hai aashiqana – Pakeezah (1972) – Composed by Ghulam Mohammed, rendered by Lata Mangeshkar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ITIil99uI

10. Jab dard nahi tha seene mein – Anurodh (1977) – A poignant number by Kishore Kumar, composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r5HS_MgG9E

11. Mera kuch saaman – Ijazat (1987) – From the lethal combination of Gulzar and R D Burman, rendered by Asha Bhonsle.