Home Is Where The Heart Is – Jahan Pe Savera Ho – Basera

Gulzar makes us do all never before, weird things. Sometimes he tells us to see the fragrance of eyes (Humne dekhi hai inn aankhon ki mehekti khushboo) now in this song he has asked to listen to the fragrant talks of a flower when it blooms (Suno jab mehekta hai, bahot kuch yeh kehta hai). Weird and beautiful are his ways of telling us things. Be it philosophy, romance, yearning, sadness or even children songs. Gulzar has his own dictionary. And you need to read every page carefully. He says – Jahan pe savera ho, basera wahin hai (Whenever its morning, one’s home is there. If you take the literal meaning). But in real sense it says the moment your eyes open, its a new beginning!!

Basera (1981) a film about family bonds and sacrifices. Embedding the family values, underscoring the importance of sacrifice. A happy housewife and mother of a son, Rakhee gets lunatic and has to go to the asylum. In order to take care of her small kid, her father gets her younger sister, Rekha who is a widow, married to her husband, Shashi Kapoor. Though the house is abundant with love and affection for each other, there’s always a feeling of pain that the original lady of the house is spending her life in the asylum. The pinch is specially felt by her husband who misses her. It is during one such occasion that Shashi Kapoor goes into flashback, remembering spending good times with Rakhi, his first wife.

A beautiful insightful song which he reminisces while playing a piano. The keynotes of the piano vibrate to a soulful music by Pancham. His music and Lata’s voice emit peace, purity, love, happiness and bliss. It gives the feeling of roller coaster when Lata touches higher and lower notes respectively. You feel accelerating high up and then there’s a freefall down. Weightlessness and sinking down. Pancham has managed to give the amazing haunting effect to the song relying mostly on Lata’s voice and the piano. It is either you are listening to the piano or Lata’s voice, alternately. Mesmerising effect with minimum music. A music genie, isn’t he?

The song begins with Lata’s voice almost whispering in your ears. Kabhi paas baitho, kisi phool ke paas, suno jab mehekta hai, bahot kuch ye kehta hai – Give time to your loved ones. Give time to the children when they are growing up, blossoming. They are like flowers. They say a lot without uttering a word. Kabhi gungunaake, kabhi muskuraake, kabhi chupke chupke, kabhi khilkhilaake – Sometimes silently, sometimes laughing, sometimes they’ll hum and sometimes smile. Your loved ones will express their feelings for you, take a note of that. Keep time for those treasures. Home is where the heart is. Kabhi chhote chhote, shabnam ke katrey, dekhe to honge subah o savere – The dew drops which you see glistening in the morning, have worked hard through the night to survive. Ye nanhi si aankhein, jaagi hain shab bhar, bahut kuch hai dil mein bas itnaa hai lab par – The small dew drops were watchful during the night, they were alert (likewise you need to be during hard times). They hide all the bygones of the night and glow in the morning with a smile on their lips.

Na mitti naa garaa, na sonaa sajaaanaa, jahaan pyaar dekho wahin ghar banana, ye dil ki imaarat banti hai dil se, dilaason ko chhoo ke ummeedon se mil ke – Hearts/homes are not made with material things like mud, stones or golden fancy decorations, but with sympathy and hopes. From here Gulzar takes a U-turn on the song by saying – Jahan pe baseraa ho, savera wahi hai – Whenever its a new beginning, its morning for you. To begin your life, home. Have a heart!!