Moon Pretext – Mujhe Mil Gaya Bahana Teri Deed Kaa – Barsaat Ki Raat

Moon Pretext – a fabulous idea, a lovely song, a collective up write up by instrument analyst Anand Desai and Deepa Buty.

Moon and romance have always gone hand in hand. Whether poems about love and romance are from ancient times or modern day songs, all find a mention of the moon and its soothing light. Why is it so that moon is so synonymous with romance? May be because of its mystique nature. The way it sprinkles the silver light in an otherwise dark, lonely nights. The calmness of its presence on the brooding black expanse. Its silver glow, which enhances the love shadows at night. Perhaps through its waxing and waning and constantly changing, it understands the human nature. If the full moon signifies the love in full bloom or even a lover’s face, the crescent moon signifies the beauty of romance at night. The delicate, soft, muted feelings of the lovers. The crescent moon aids in bringing up the muted, suppressed feelings of the lovers. The crescent moon is also synonymous with Eid. The sighting of this crescent moon at the end of the holy month of Ramzan, announces the Eid celebrations. But no celebration can be complete without a glimpse of your loved one. And when love beckons you somehow find the pretext of getting that one glimpse of your beloved.

Something what Shama (Shyama) does in Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). She is deeply in love with Amaan Hyderabadi (Bharat Bhushan) who is a paying guest at her place. But Shama who is a shy, reticent girl hasn’t yet found a voice to express her love. On the occasion of Eid, she finds this crescent moon as the pretext to have a glance at the love of her life.

Mujhe mil gaya bahana teri deed ka
Kaisi khushi leke aaya chaand eid ka

Zulf machal ke khul khul jaaye
Chaal mein masti ghul ghul jaaye
Ghul ghul jaaye
Aisi khushi aaj mili
Aaj mili aisi khushi
Aankhon mein naam nahin neend ka

Jaagti aankhein bunti hain sapne
Tujh ko bitha ke pehlu mein apne
Pehlu mein apne
Dil ki lagi aisi badhi
Aisi badhi dil ki lagi
Aankhon mein naam nahin neend ka

Aate hi tere jagti hain kaliyaan
Ah ha ha haa
Dil ban ban ke dhadki hain galiyaan
Dhadki hain galiyaan
Aisi saji raat meri
Raat meri aisi saji
Aankhon mein naam nahin neend ka

She is happy that she found this beautiful pretext to get a glimpse of her love. So that she doesn’t have to make any other silly excuses further.
This beautiful song from Barsaat Ki Raat is further explored by the instrument analyst Anand Desai. Here is what he has to say –

“I would like to first mention the brilliant Kafiya – Deed ka, Eid Ka, Neend ka at various stages.
Also further in the second antara the kaafiyas are- zulf machal ke KHUL KHUL jaaye and chaal mein masti GHUL GHUL jaaye. Sahir’s use of a single Radeef – Jaaye

Roshanji’s arrangement is worth speaking about. A simple happy flow and he has employed the vocal capabilities of a total of 12 singers in this movie – Lata ; Asha ; Kamal Barot ; Sudha Malhotra ; Suman Kalyanpur ; Rafi; S D Batish; Balbir; Manna Dey and Bande Hasan and Shankar & Shambu [ in one chorus only]
The intro starts with a Pipe Flute and quick flicks on a Glock ; Violin staccatos and a brief Accordion till the first 12 seconds. Then the Dholak pick up as if it has broken free from its bondage – it seems like a Pizzicato, slightly unsure. However as we all know the Glock was Roshanji’s favorite instrument.
Lata’s lilting and happy tone flows, notice a one second pause at 0.24 kaisi khushi leke aaya chaand…[pause] Eid ka…. that’s sheer mischief as you see Shyama’s smile. A constant Chipli accompaniment the Keherwa. The M1 from 0.35 is a bouquet of small instrument pieces craftily designed – Flute; Accordion ; Violins. [ Just catch the Accordion notes and Flute’s between 0.42 and 0.46 and to add further the small Flute bridges – Aisi khushi aaj mili…[ bridge at 1.06]… aaj mili aisi khushi and notice the clever flip of the same words as Lata sings the same line twice and a similar flip at dil ki lagi aisi badhi later…between 1.48 to 1.54..

The other superb songs in this movie are Na toh karvan ki talaash hai ; Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi and some more. Now one more observation. If you catch the accordion and flute piece between 0.42 AND 0.46 notice the absolute similarity of a piece used by Roshan ji in Tum agar mujhko na chaaho toh koi baat nahi from Dil Hi Toh Hai between 1.09 to 1.11 (clip attached below)

https://youtu.be/khhJH4zu7I8