Heralding Love – Pal Bhar Mein Yeh Kya Ho Gaya – Swami

Falling in love!! How many of you have really experienced this feeling?? Just nurturing the idea of being in love. To know how it feels like being in love. That madness which erupts like a volcano. Those promises of eternal passion and happiness. Your heart, which all these days was wrapped away in a secluded safekeep, suddenly begins to feel the joy of being free. Yes, love is all about setting one free. It is not about those promises to keep, human nature and promises don’t go together. That freedom makes you yearn for your beloved. It sure is like taking a huge plunge from a high mountain with your head saying – Don’t!! You will die and your heart says don’t worry you can fly. And you soar up high in the sky with your new found wings. Don’t you want to tell it to the world? Or announce it from a top of the mountain or stand in the midst of an auditorium or the Colosseum and shout about it!! Yes certainly!! Poets and lyricists have given us so many different ways to announce it to the world. And what better thing if its during monsoon. The usual clear blue canopy is full with the rain bearing clouds, heavy, potent as your feelings. Heralding love. You are cherishing those feelings of being in love and you hear tinkle of a distant vibraphone with santoor and a melancholy flute, while Lata Mangeshkar’s voice adds up –

Aa aa aa
Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya
Woh main gayi, woh mann gaya
Chunri kahe sun ri pawan
Sawan laya ab ke sajan
Din bhar mujhe yun sataye
Unn bin ab toh raha nahi jaaye

Shabana Azmi is head over heels in love with Vikram, who stays in the neighbourhood. He too loves her but takes too long in expressing himself. Swami (1977) by Basu Chatterjee seems to be Shabana Azmi’s migration from art cinema to commercial one. Based on the novel by name same by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, the film is about a bright girl Saudamini with a mind of her own. As in other films based on his novels, Sarat Chandra’s female character in this story too makes a strong impression. She is academically intelligent. Studying literature and philosophy. In love with her neighbour Naren (Vikram) but later married offt to Ghanshyam (Girish Karnad). She knows right from wrong and fights for her rights.

It is celebration time – rains and love both pouring!!
Ohh what really happened in just a moment, I’m pushed into a spin and my heart gone haywire. My heart as fragile as my zephyr, announces it to the world – the rains this year have brought in my loved one in my life. And as the gentle breeze blows, I realise it is difficult to live without him.
Imagine all this happening just in a moment!! And you go for a toss!!

The first interlude has the taar shehnai making a foray like the love just did into your heart, redefined by the swarmandal while the sitar, violins and the congos ebb and flow as your heart rate, till the vibraphone tries to soothe it in its place with hope.

Asha ki chhoti si naiyya
Leke chali purvaiyya
Dole dole, jhumka bole
Chupke se bhed ye khole
Aa jaayega aa jaayega
Pyar se tum bulana

The gentle eastern breeze nudges my small sailboat of hope towards love. My earrings, the dangles and gives away my feelings of nervousness, unsteadiness. But they murmur softly in my ears the secret – he will be here, just call him lovingly.

As the monsoon and love blossoms further, it leaves you light hearted and light headed. The interplay of vibraphone, violins, sitar and the flute give you that feeling of light in weight feeling.

Aayi baharein simat ke
Kehne lagi wo lipat ke
Chori chori chal o gori
Thaame hue baiyyan mori
Mil jaayega mil jaayega
Tumko wahi deewana

It is as if the spring season has come rumpled up this monsoon. With blooms showing up everywhere, clinging to me saying – tread slowly along this path, we’re there to guide you, hold hands. You will find him very soon, the one who is as crazy for you as you are for him.

The song highlights the creativity of Rajesh Roshan in true sense. Rather the whole album – Kaa karun sajni aaye na baalam, Yaadon mein wo sapnon mein hai being the other popular numbers. Amit Khanna’s soulful lyrics sum up the situation aptly.
The monsoon marquee is set with the backdrop of love. The relentless, persistent heavy rains are bringing the message, heralding love, for it is here to stay.

There also exists a Malayalam version(copied) of this song. Rendered by S. Janaki in the film Avalude Ravukal (1978).