A Mahendra Kapur-Sahir Ludhiyanvi-Ravi classic

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono

If ever there was a song that could be described as the defining song of a singer, Mahendra Kapur’s Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono is one such song.

Mahendra Kapur, who came to the film world through a singing talent competition in the late fifties, was seen as a Rafi clone. That can be a great handicap; the world of film music is replete with the tragedies of clones not being able to come out of the shadow of the original star.

The best known case is of CH Atma, who was such a perfect copy of KL Saigal that throughout his entire career he remained stuck in that groove, so much so that if you are not an initiate, his songs have to be played with the caveat that it is not the voice of Saigal. Mahendra Kapur was lucky that he became the favourite singer of BR Chopra movies, who seemed to have something against Rafi. Except Naya Daur (1957), composed by OP Nayyar, you do not come across many Rafi songs in a BR Chopra movie. Thus you have fabulous Mahendra Kapur songs in films like Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dharmputra (1961), Gumrah (1963), Waqt (1965), Humraaz (1967), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969) etc. Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono from Gumrah, composed by Ravi, is to my mind the apogee of Mahendra Kapur’s singing.

Ravi, who also debuted around the same time, gave some very popular songs in the late fifties, but he achieved raving fame with Chaudahvin Ka Chaand (1960), and soon broke into the top rung in a very crowded field. He became the favourite composer of BR Chopra camp. If you look at Ravi’s entire work, his natural style fitted Mohammad Rafi, and he composed some of the everlasting Rafi melodies. But for BR Films, Mahendra Kapur was the regular singer. Thus, in many ways Mahendra Kapur owes his achievements to Ravi. I would easily rate Chalo ek baar phir se, written by Sahir Ludhiyanvi, among Ravi’s all time greats, which brings out Mahendra Kapur’s individuality so sharply. Compare this with his other song in Gumrah, Aap aye to khayal-e-dil-e-nashad aya, which has a distinct Rafi shade.

Lyrics are often seen as the less important part of a film song, we have heard of lyricists who ‘made’ songs to fit a tune already composed. When Sahir Ludhiyanvi entered the film world in the early 1950s teaming up initially with SD Burman in Naujawan and Baazi, he had already earned a reputation as a poet. In the film world too he retained his poetic flavour, and there are films, such as Pyasa (1957) which you remember for Sahir Ludhiyanvi’s evocative poetry. Sahir Ludhiyanvi had a natural fit with BR Chopra who were known to make films with a social message. Chalo ek baar phir se is easily among Sahir’s best. Just savour his beautiful lines:

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono

Na main tum se koi ummeed rakhun dil nawazi ki

Na tum meri taraf dekho galat andaaz nazron se

Na mere dil ki dhadkan ladkhadaaye meri baaton mein

Na zahir ho tumhari kashamkash ka raaz nazron se

Chalo ek bar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono

Tumhein bhi koi uljhan rokati hai peshkadami se

Mujhe bhi log kahte hain ki ye jalwe paraaye hain

Mere humraah bhi ruswaaiyaan hain mere maazi ki

Tumhare saath bhi guzari huyee raaton ke saaye hain

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono

Tarruf rog ho jaye to usko bhoolna behtar

Talluq bojh ban jaye to usko todana achha

Wo afsana jise anjaam tak lana na ho mumkin

Use ik khoobsoorat mod de kar chhodna achha

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono

चलो एक बार फिर से अजनबी बन जाएं हम दोनो

न मैं तुमसे कोई उम्मीद रक्खूँ, दिल नवाज़ी की

न तुम मेरी तरफ़ देखो गलत अंदाज़ नज़रों से

न मेरे दिल की धड़कन लड़खड़ाये मेरी बातों में

न ज़ाहिर हो तुम्हारी कशमकश का राज़ नज़रों से

चलो एक बार फिर से अजनबी बन जाएं हम दोनो

तुम्हें भी कोई उलझन रोकती है पेशकदमी से

मुझे भी लोग कहते हैं कि ये जलवे पराए हैं

मेरे हमराह भी रुसवाइयां हैं मेरे माज़ी की

तुम्हारे साथ भी गुज़री हुई रातों के साये हैं

चलो एक बार फिर से अजनबी बन जाएं हम दोनो

तार्रुफ़ रोग हो जाये तो उसको भूलना बेहतर

ताल्लुक बोझ बन जाये तो उसको तोड़ना अच्छा

वो अफ़साना जिसे अंजाम तक लाना न हो मुमकिन

उसे इक खूबसूरत मोड़ दे कर छोड़ना अच्छा

चलो एक बार फिर से अजनबी बन जाएं हम दोनो

These lyrics are so beautiful, it is worth translating in English, and it sounds equally lyrical in an alien language, such is the power of Sahir’s poetry. And here is my English translation:

O my love! Let us be strangers once again

Let me not have any hopes of tenderness from you

Nor should you look towards me with longing eyes

Let not my words betray my trembling heart

Nor your eyes show the torment inside you

Come, let us be strangers once again

There is something that keeps you from taking the next step

As for me, they say these delights are not mine

My past infamy has become my companion

You too are burdened by the shadows of the nights gone by

Come, let us be strangers once again

When familiarity becomes an affliction it is better to forget it

When relationship becomes a burden it is better to break it

The story which can not be brought to a happy ending

It is better to give it a beautiful turn and leave it

Come, let us be strangers once again

Finally, a film song is rooted in a story in a visual medium. Therefore, if the picturisation is superb and it takes forward the story, the impact is everlasting – Chalo ek baar phir se hai has that abiding quality because of its picturisation. And if the song is a piano song the impact is magical.

In Hindi film songs the grand piano is not just a musical instrument, it becomes as important a part of the scene as the actors in the frame. In a romantic setting the heroine can lean on the piano resting her elbow on it, and with her face cupped in her palm, look at the hero lovingly, who would then break into Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar main geet sunata jaaun (Mukesh for Dilip Kumar in Andaaz) or Dil matwala lakh sambhala aakhir kisi par aa hi gaya/Shokh nazar se dekhanewala pyar ka rog laga hi gaya (Talat Mahmood for Raj Kapoor (!) in Bewafa). At other times the sad notes of the piano come in handy to convey the pain of the hero who has lost the heroine to the other guy, or to clear misunderstandings which the hero could not do otherwise because of circumstances (Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami le le by Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam).

In Chalo ek bar phir se too, the piano has a dominating presence, but in an entirely different setting. Ashok Kumar, who is a busy lawyer and uncaring husband, accidentally comes to know of his wife Mala Sinha’s past association with singer-artist Sunil Dutt, when he sees her portrait in his studio. He invites him over to his house – to gather more evidence? Near the piano it is not the heroine, it is Ashok Kumar who opens its lid for Sunil Dutt to sing, and he strategically places himself near it almost keeping Mala Sinha at bay. During the song, an agonising Mala Sinha gingerly tries to come near the piano, and leans on Ashok Kumar, as if to profess her faithfulness, but the pipe-smoking Ashok Kumar giving meaningful glances at her does not seem to be convinced. The whole scene is sheer magic.

The pathos of Sunil Dutt conveyed through the beautiful poetry of Sahir Ludhiyanvi, the torment of Mala Sinha, the unkind smirk of a suspicious husband Ashok Kumar as if straight out of a Roald Dahl story, superb music by Ravi, Mahendra Kapur singing at his best and the grand piano, make this song an everlasting classic.

Listen to Chalo ek baar phir se from the film Gumrah