Haathon Mein Haath Hum Lekar – Chala Murari Hero Banane – On A Flying Carpet

A flying Carpet ride with Genie-us Pancham and the Magical (singing) Diva –

Song : Haathon mein haath hum
Film : Chala Murarai Hero Banane
Singer : Lata Mangeshkar
Lyricist : Yogesh

No video is available as it might not got picturised or deleted from the subsequent film versions.So, it’s a fantasy in many ways. You can dream about its picturisation aided by quite a few musical and lyrical hints.
One thing is sure the addressee is Murari Asrani. He has been central character in every song, why not? It is his own film after all. But I find him sensible as he lip-synched almost none of them, even the temptingly introvert ‘naa jaane din kaise’ barring a few lyrical bars in one of its three versions.
But like Dev, he wants to be flirted/ aroused/ romanced by the leading actresses, of course, with the help of the magical voices of two diva’s Lata and Asha.
While Asha does an all round job, be it for the inspiring and loving (in his real life in the reels) Bindiya Goswami or for the sensual Simi Garewal with a rendezvous with real living or the warning and blaring Helen on the old film sets.
Then, there is sweet Lata helping Hema to dance on his direction and on the tunes by Pancham and this un-picturised fantasy.
That’s why it is quite a lovely job for everybody here of guessing who that actress would be. Could it be Mumtaz who always demanded Lata once she became A grade heroine or the dream girl repeated for this dream fantasy sequence?
One has the freedom to chose one’s own favorite Jasmine before he steps on the flying carpet that will be going to make him feel like Aladdin.
Oh you need a Genie, don’t you? Who else than Pancham..who, like that most popular character of Arabian nights, is capable to fulfill any of your wish.
But wait, a word of caution. Pancham is capable to fulfill any of your wish but it is best not to confine him by putting him in the bottle of stringent conditions with a tight orthodox cork. Just let him free and he’s sure to give you many such magical musical experiences.
He is that way very polite, may ask you ‘kaho kahaan chale?’ Just respond to him smilingly “jahaan tum le chalo”.
So, lets go kahee door chale, with him and Jasmin (with the playback by ever fragrant magical diva, well, coincidentally in Marathi, it would mean magical lamp) on the magi-musical flying carpet weaved intricately by Pancham, his team and not to forget, Yogesh ji.
The start, as I mentioned, is a hinting and haunting bubbler, the Genie is coming out of the bottle and once out he begins to giggle weirdly. The following smoky violins lift the carpet effortlessly aided by the jolly strumming by the guitars that welcome Yogesh ji’s complementing lyrical mukhada with a promise of –

आज ज़मीन पे हम तो कही पर रखेंगे अब न क़दम

The next moment Lata-Pancham make you zoom further up with

उड़ते ही रहेंगे हम तो हवाओं में
and your eyes, full of amazement, look at the magical nazara down and up.
Don’t miss to enjoy the three sweet bumps like a rhythm-tarang, last one on the cowbells being one of the cutest. You ask Pancham for ‘once more’ and Pancham responds ‘naheen naheen abhi naheen’ .
Interludes, like the start, have their own breath-taking sways and swerves in the air started by the bubbling and dreamy vibraphones followed by soaring violins and the synth whistle punctuations, all of them surfing on a brisk rhythmic support.
They propel you to quite a height to ease Lata to start with

ऊपर चाँद तारों से खिला है आसमान

but in no time the carpet descends down with amazing speed towards ground along

नीचे रौशनी का है जहाँ’
which leaves you gasping. Her breathtaking aalaps just add to the thrill and just when you thought you are crashing on the ground and close your eyes in fright, the carpet soars in the sky in no time to regain the same elevation with which it (antara) started,
The amazing sequence repeats, but now, you are more prepared and Pancham, too, asks Lata to take it easy. Your eyed are open now to witness the thrill.. but Lata opens the parachute along ‘la la la la..la la la la’ just a few meters above the landing to attain a terminal velocity.
The carpet again takes off with the mukhada and second interlude to now take you to the Arabian deserts. Same vibraphone- violin- synth sequence ..but the manly trumpets make a welcome entry to take you towards a silky and superbly lit tent where the intoxicating flute and gyrating tambourine show the silhouette of an Arabian Zamborin .. and you wonder.. ek se bhale do ? Why not?
You look at Pancham, he quickly rejects the idea while directing the violins to steer past the tent.You look at him searchingly wanting to ask ‘why not ?’ He points out at Jasmine (Lata) who is quick to pounce with a

Phursat hai kise jo aaj dekhe ghoom ke
Chalte jaa rahe hai..jhoom ke ae ae ae’…
the stretching of ‘ae’ ‘ae’ makes the carpet make ‘ae’rial acrobatic show casting yet another magical spell on your mind that makes you forget your disappointment .
The carpet again descends,, ‘la la la la’ parachute reopens but this time to drop you on the ground, in Gulzar ji’s words, like a ‘hot potato’.
And you see them fading out in the starlit sky waving their hands with her ‘la la la la’ La-ta a-la-aps.
And you console yourself with the thought that they must have been prompted with another weaving order of another stunningly beautiful carpet like this, may not be necessarily a flying, but a magi-musical for sure.

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