So does anyone remember which song the title of this post is taken from?
If you said yes, then congratulations! You truly are a 90s bollywood fan! Did you also mug up lyrics by the dozen, not just the mukda, but the antara(s) even!?
Kidding? Not really. I was, and still, am enamoured by the lyrics. I love exploring the meanings, the composition, the use of certain words and the way it is strung together. Sometimes it becomes more dear or meaningful after watching the movie. Context adds a lot of weight.
Back in my teens, even in my 20s, I used to listen to a lot of songs, mostly Hindi ones, sometimes on loop (from cassettes slowing transitioning to the internet or forwards from friends). Learning the lyrics by heart came naturally. Singing not so much! But still I persisted, even almost winning a Corporate Antakshari once! Our team came a close second and one thing was ticked off my bucket list.
Although, I must admit that am a little rusty now. So it came as a pleasant surprise when this happened today.
I was listening to a 90s playlist from Saavn (I really like the way some of the playlists are compiled), and this 1 song started playing. Back then the general consensus of the audience was that the movie should have been named "Rani". Got the movie yet? Yes, it was "Raja", the Sanjay Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit starrer, that had a pathetic plot (if you would call it a plot, that is), but some good songs. Remember 'Akhiyan milaaon'? It was a popular number back then. But when this song - 'Kisi din banoongi mein Raja ki Rani' started playing, suddenly I could remember everything about it - not just the song, but the costumes, places, hell, even Madhuri's hairstyle and earrings! I was able to lip-sync the mukhda, then the 1st antara, and then even the 2nd one! It felt so familiar, as though I had just listened or watched it yesterday. This was some obscure movie, watched at least 20 years ago, maybe listened or watched the song a few more times after that. It is, indeed, remarkable how the brain stores information and that too, with such clarity!
I was really amazed. So much, that I quickly jumped to this blog and started to write this post! Some of you might think 'how is this a big deal anyway?'
Well, you were probably the ones who said 'No' to my first question anyway!
If you said yes, then congratulations! You truly are a 90s bollywood fan! Did you also mug up lyrics by the dozen, not just the mukda, but the antara(s) even!?
Mugging up the lyrics, was completely necessary, to win the imaginary Close-up Antakshari you would play in your mind, or for the saner ones, to identify the music or/and know the lyrics before any of the Deewanas, Parwanas or Mastanas pressed the buzzer! Lyrics were very important you see, you could lose if you even got 1 word wrong! Annu Kapoor was damn strict that way!
Kidding? Not really. I was, and still, am enamoured by the lyrics. I love exploring the meanings, the composition, the use of certain words and the way it is strung together. Sometimes it becomes more dear or meaningful after watching the movie. Context adds a lot of weight.
Back in my teens, even in my 20s, I used to listen to a lot of songs, mostly Hindi ones, sometimes on loop (from cassettes slowing transitioning to the internet or forwards from friends). Learning the lyrics by heart came naturally. Singing not so much! But still I persisted, even almost winning a Corporate Antakshari once! Our team came a close second and one thing was ticked off my bucket list.
Although, I must admit that am a little rusty now. So it came as a pleasant surprise when this happened today.
I was listening to a 90s playlist from Saavn (I really like the way some of the playlists are compiled), and this 1 song started playing. Back then the general consensus of the audience was that the movie should have been named "Rani". Got the movie yet? Yes, it was "Raja", the Sanjay Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit starrer, that had a pathetic plot (if you would call it a plot, that is), but some good songs. Remember 'Akhiyan milaaon'? It was a popular number back then. But when this song - 'Kisi din banoongi mein Raja ki Rani' started playing, suddenly I could remember everything about it - not just the song, but the costumes, places, hell, even Madhuri's hairstyle and earrings! I was able to lip-sync the mukhda, then the 1st antara, and then even the 2nd one! It felt so familiar, as though I had just listened or watched it yesterday. This was some obscure movie, watched at least 20 years ago, maybe listened or watched the song a few more times after that. It is, indeed, remarkable how the brain stores information and that too, with such clarity!
I was really amazed. So much, that I quickly jumped to this blog and started to write this post! Some of you might think 'how is this a big deal anyway?'
Well, you were probably the ones who said 'No' to my first question anyway!
