Main Tere Naal Si

Main tere naal si

Main tere naal si, us vehle jad akhri sah tenu chadiyai,

Dhadkan teri mere kaan teh digi, tere dil di awaz sun aahi.

Main tere naal si, jad rab jameen tek aakhe,

Swarg vich tenu legaya, bahaan che bah paake.

Main tere naal si, jad auh aakhri shabd tere bhullan teh ked di si,

Dard tere shareer nu chad aayi, akhan che baarsi meehi.

Main tere naal si, jad zindagi de anmol pal tere akhan saamne aaye,

Tere parnam lehi lakha farishteh, shabd aasman vich gaaye.

Main tere naal si paave main haath tera faar na sakhi,

Zameen hove yaa aasmaan, hamesha naal assi hona, yeh khayal yaad rakhi.

S S Maan

English translation:

I was with you

I was with you, in that moment when the last breath left you,

Your heartbeat fell upon my ear, I heard the sounds of your heart too.

I was with you, when God came down to earth,

Arm in arm, he took you to another world.

I was with you, when that last word danced on your lips,

Pain left your body, rain fell from our eyes.

I was with you when the priceless moments of life came before your gaze,

To greet you a million angels, chanted prayers in the sky.

I was with you, even though I could not hold your hand,

Earth or sky, we are always with each other, keep that in mind.

Punjabi Poetry

Aaj di Heer kithe guachayi,

Ranjha labke na nigah vich aayi,

Soni dhoob ke phir na jammi,

Mahiwal di udeekan hai bas lambi.

Hon ehi daso kaun reh si baaki,

Jinu ishq di kadar, pyaar di saaki,

Pak jeda rooh, auno mera sar,

Aaj di Laila Majnu tah hoye faraar.

Aaj di Heer nu lagi nashe di aadat,

Ranjhe nu maya di pehgi zahmat,

Soni ne dilan di behziti kiti,

Mahiwal nu hawas di thiai hi piti.

Hon ehi sunao main naa kive jora,

Napaak de naal, Rab to manga vichora,

Lehran vich SoniMahiwali nahi tarde,

Bekadaran di chaki vich au sab hi saarge.

By Sundeep Singh Maan

English translation:

Today's Heer is lost somewhere,

Ranjha I searched for but could not find,

Soni drowned never again to be born,

Mahiwal I seek forever, the wait forlorn.

So tell me now who is left,

Who values love, the merchant of amour,

That soul that is pure, awaits only me,

Today's Laila Majnu deserted for sure.

Today's Heer intoxicated with liquor,

Ranjha mad with greed for money,

Soni shamed many hearts,

Mahiwal consumed by the thirst of lust.

So tell me now how do I join my name

With the immoral, from God I seek distance,

In waves SoniMahiwal no longer swim,

In the grind of unfaithfulness, they all rot.

Aaj assi mil na saake

Aaj assi mil na sake,

Kal da ki barosa,

Par eh yakeen tah jaroor hega,

Ke kithe naa kithe, milna kismat vich tah hoga.

Jad mee da boond bhegayi, main us boond de vich hazir honga,

Tere chaam teh dig ke tere masam vich chupna,

Yah phir vagdi hawa vich, jo tere kes nu uda denda,

Main phoolan di patti banke, tere baalan vich saun jana.

Jado kaaliyan raatan vich, tu mombatti jagana,

Main parwana baanke, usdi loh nu chunnaa .

Yah fir tere jakhm toh jeri lauh dulda,

Aus lauh di vich, main pehl ke baar auna.

Jado pipiyee di pioo ambar vich wajana,

Us chek di vich main rachya hona,

Yah phir jado mitti jal tere bullan nu chumnaa,

Main auhi mithas vich baanke auna.

Jad hath de uthe pehi dunghi mendhi,

Paave kisi aur di hove, aus rang di vich main rachiya hona.

Yah jado tu jag vich nahi zindagi nu jamna,

Main udhe vich peda hoonga.

Jado maut aake tenu audhe giraft vich lega,

Teri masan vich main sutha pena.

Yah jado tu swarg vich ghisarna,

Main badal baanke tere pairaan tahle rehna.

Aaj assi mil na sake,

Kal di ki barosa,

Sau baar bicharke par,

Ik baar tah sanu milna hoga.

By Sundeep Singh Maan

English Translation:

Today we could not meet,

Who can trust tomorrow,

But believe we must,

That somewhere, someday fate will bring us together.

When a drop of rain falls, I will be within that droplet,

Falling upon your skin, I will hide within your pore,

Or when the blowing wind runs through your hair,

I will come as a petal, and sleep within your tresses.

When on dark nights, you light a candle,

I will come as a moth and touch its light.

Or when blood seeps from your wounds,

From that blood I shall pour out.

When the bird chirps in the sky,

In its song I will live,

Or when the sweet water touches your lips,

I will live within that nectar and arrive.

When deep mendhi adorns your hands,

Even if it belongs to another, I will be embedded within its colour.

Or when you bring a new life into this world,

I will take birth within it.

When death comes to take you in its hold,

I will be asleep within your ashes,

Or when you glide through heaven,

I will become a cloud and stay under your feet.

Today we could not meet,

Who can trust tomorrow,

We may part one hundred times,

But at least once we will have to come together.

Ik Daali - S.S.Maan

Ik daali teh chiri baithi si,

Main daali nu hilaya, usno daraya,

Chiri chekdi, ve pardesiya,

Main ithe bethi tenu milan li.

Maar udaari, main usno kendha,

Tu begani ithe, tera chirkna fazool,

Chiri rondi, pank nu watt laake,

Main daar chadi aayi tere vaaste,

Main murke jado dali kol langiya,

Chiri mere nigha toh hoi door,

Ambar vich main kholgayi chiri gaundi,

Ithe payi adar, kuli meri rooh

Mur aa chiri main uno kendha,

Phir dali teh bait main tenu daane kilama,

Dharti teh baithi audo tenu kadar nahi si,

Ambar vich sajgi tah aaya tera bulaava.

English translation:

A bird was perched upon a branch,

I shook the branch, to put her to fear

The bird chirped, oh stranger,

I sat here to meet only you

Fly away, I tell her

You don’t belong here, your chirping a waste

The bird cries, creases her wings,

I left my flock only for you

When I pass the branch again,

The bird is no longer in my sight

I am one with the sky, she sings

Here I find respect, my soul open

Come back bird, I call out

Sit on the branch again I will feed you,

On the ground you could not care,

Now I adorn the sky, you call out for me

main gali gali labda phira, pahaaran charke feh bhi na mila,

main mandir, masjid, gurdware nu jaava,

main taarayan di loh vich apni chaaha nu likhava,

main labiya samundro, main takdha reh raaha,

main sochan ke au vasda vich teriya baahan,

main teerat teh jaake, sarovar vich doob jaava,

main bachpan di kehde vich shayad auno paava,

main maa di chaa vich apne aap nu sulava,

main mitran di gaalan vich au dard nu puljaava,

main labiya heere motiya vicho, main chadiya maya di pukh picho,

Par ant vich eh pata tah hoya,

Ke mere andaroo au gaal vasda, haje tak si soya...

S.S.Maan

Translation

I searched every lane, climbed mountains but did not find it,

I visited mandirs, masjids and gurdware

I write my desires under the light of the stars

I searched every ocean, I awaited those paths,

I thought perhaps it lives within your arms,

I go on pilgrimages and drown in holy water,

I search for it in the games of my childhood,

I put myself to rest in the shade of my mother,

I forget my pain in the words of friends,

I look for it in diamonds, I left behind my greed of wealth

But in the end I come to realise,

That it lives within me, yet it is sleeping...

Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

It’s been a long time since I have walked out of the cinema hall with a feeling of equanimity and the asseveration of having just witnessed a film that will go down in history as a classic. The last time I was overcome by such a feeling was with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s poetic Saawariya, a film that many people rejected for its folklore style.

Jodhaa Akbar rekindled my faith in why Hindi cinema is the greatest entertainer in the glimmering world of movie lights, for it could only be the Hindi film industry that could conceive such a monopolizing oeuvre.

Set in the 16th century, Jodha Akbar is a sumptuous saga of romance which blossoms under the schismatic setting of political astriction during the Mughal era.

Rajput King Bharmal of Amer (Khulbhushan Khabarnda) arranges a marriage of alliance between his daughter Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai) and the Mughal Emperor Jalaudin Akbar (Hrithik Roshan) thus sewing the seed of tranquility between both communities.

However, Akbar is unaware that Jodha resents the consanguinity in which she has been used as seal against the polemics of politics, presenting him with a battle far greater than those he has enacted on the warfield…to conquer the love of his queen.

Armed with his heart as his weapon, Akbar’s language of love is as confident as each swing of his sword and by the time he has managed to encapsulate Jodhaa, the soil of the Mughal dynasty is marred yet again with the threat of annexation in which Akbar’s love for his kingdom becomes parallel to the love of his Jodhaa.

Asutosh Gowariker has to be congratulated for making a film with such conviction and executing his story on such a grand platform. Whilst the general consensus of many is that historical films dabble more in the complexities of the past through stolid like factual presentation, Gowariker is able to use his finesse of mixing drama with authenticity – the result being an exhilarating lesson in history which also carries a strong heart. The nail biting battle scenes have all been captured with sharp camera movements, transporting the viewer to the battlefield, the tense palaver between Ila Arun and Aishwarya demanded pin drop silence from everyone in the cinema hall…exemplary of the maestro director’s ability to capture the audience and throw them into a bygone era.

Hrithik Roshan as the Great Emperor Akbar is awe-inspiring. His performance is of dizzying heights, meticulously delivered without any room for criticism. Roshan epitomizes perfection, both physically and creatively resulting in the finest screen presence to be witnessed since Amitabh Bachchan. His Akbar is powerful and unflinching yet in a split second can transform to a smirking lover of loyalty towards his queen presenting a humane depiction of a figure who was obviously more than just a temerarious ruler. Roshan proves yet again just why he is the finest male lead to grace the screen since the millennium.

Aishwarya Rai is always at her best when she is regal and in Jodhaa Akbar she is dignity personified. The character of Jodhaa demanded a fiery yet graceful streak of personality and Rai achieves this balance with uttermost ease. The scene where she exchanges heated words with Akbar upon his accusation of her deceit is tremendous as she conveys vulnerability with angst, using her eyes to emote a thousand words. A character that does not demand huge amounts of dialogues but more so relies on the ability for Rai to emote with her expressions resulting in a play of wholehearted curtailment. Jodhaa Akbar is sure to go down as one of Rai’s finest examples of talent.

A R Rahman’s music may not be of chartbusting quality but it moulds itself into the story in such a way that without becoming officious to the narrative, it still acts as a conclusive transition, especially the Sufi style “Khwaja Mere Khwaja” which oozes a spiritualistic aroma of melody. “Azeem O Shah Shahensha” is robust in its presentation and only electrifies the magnitude of the character that Akbar was.

One can not speak about Jodhaa Akbar without mentioning the cinematography and costumes. There is a danger that when films are seeped in such grandeur, they shimmer more for their ability to satisfy the visual palette rather than offer satiating content but Jodhaa Akbar does not suffer from this ailment. The need for the ostentatious presentation is fully justified and equally rewarding to the eye, be it the intricate halls of the palace or the deliciously crafted jewels, all have their place and thankfully due to a taut screenplay, do not serve as mere ornaments by which viewers can pass their time admiring their beauty. Rather, one spends the duration of the film engulfed in the proceedings of the story which are only taken to a higher level with the alluring ambience of the Mughal era.

Period dramas carry with them the promise of acting as tools for society, where in today’s times many people are recalcitrant to pick up a book and read history; cinema offers them the opportunity of visually engaging with the quondam and interpreting facts in a more appealing manner. Jodhaa Akbar allows its audience all of this in a manner which is simplistic in relaying chronologic events yet also embarks on a simultaneous journey of love and acceptance, mixing the two to create an evocative experience.

History with a heart, Jodhaa Akbar ravages the screen with its royal fest of nobility and catalytic performances , crowning it’s viewers with cinematic glory.

"Originally published on PassionForCinema.com> http://passionforcinema.com/jodhaa-akbar-review/ "

Dillagi (1999)

A high voltage love triangle graces the screen in Sunny Deol’s directorial debut Dillagi, a traditional tale of two brothers in love with one girl.

Hindi cinema has witnessed umpteen love triangle sagas be it the celluloid classic Sangam or the musical Saajan, from bubblegum flick Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to the epic Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. So, one may ask what makes such a tried and tested formula an enjoyable experience in the form of Dillagi? Quite simply, the treatment of a hackneyed plotline and the flawless performances makes Dillagi one of the best films to come from the Deol dynasty, thus transcending to a highly exhilarating cinematic experience.

Ranvir (Sunny Deol) and Rajvir (Bobby Deol) are two brothers who are poles apart. Whilst Ranvir is the sagacious elder who runs the family empire, Rajvir aka Rocky enjoys his playboy lifestyle whilst indulging in girls, alcohol and parties much to the worry of his father (Dara Singh) and grandmother (Zohra Segal.)

Enter Shalini (Urmilia Matondkar) a naïve and simple girl of a middle class family whose parents (Reema Lagoo, Khulbhushan Kharbanda) only wish is to see her complete her studies and marry. However, Shalini becomes prey to Rajiv’s charming ways and it is not long before the two strike off a friendship much to the dismay of Shalini’s friends who warn her of Rajiv’s whorehound antics.

Love is blind and Shalini’s eyes become equally clouded with dreams of marrying Rajvir much to the upset of her parents who wish for her to meet Ranvir as a prospective husband. Ranvir…who has loved Shalini by treasuring those moments in which he has seen her by glance yet never had the courage to express his love, arrives at Shalini’s doorstep with his heart already in Shalini’s hands.

A cruel twist of fate leaves all three characters wounded by Cupid’s arrow. Whilst Shalini rejects Ranvir only to realize Rajvir never loved her, Ranvir wallows in his sorrows of dejection and Rajvir comes to realize that perhaps his perception of frivolity accounts for much more when it comes to love.

Dillagi’s mainstay is based upon the fact that Sunny Deol has taken out the melodrama associated with most routine love triangles and presented a story which is seeped in reality and at times is highly relatable. The college ambience and the depiction of Gen x is a highlight of the film and depicts the double life that many youngsters lead in and out of the family home.

An interesting idea that the film presents is how young girls can easily be mislead in the world of starry love like dreams. The revelation comes in the form that the traitor of Shalini’s love is not a villain, but a believable character that is perhaps representative of a large population of the youth who are laidback in their approach to relationships. This message in itself makes Dillagi compulsory viewing and whilst not once does the film preach, it does make the viewer think about the gullible facet of human nature in todays fast moving, no nonsense world.

As a director, Sunny Deol should be commended for a number of sequences which he has treated with extreme precision. Take for example the scene where Shalini is humiliated by Rajvir at college, the flow of conversation between the two seems straight out of life and the following portions of Shalini rebuilding her confidence with her parents all strike a chord with the viewer’s heart.

Furthermore, both Deol brothers share a sparkling chemistry onscreen making for endearing viewing whilst the crux of the film succeeds in creating a high flow of emotional quotient, a prerequisite for any good love triangle.

Sunny Deol as the humble and mellow brother is a revelation. It is a refreshing change to see Sunny play a more subdued character rather than the roaring beasts of men he has become associated with. He captures all the right nuances and delivers an extremely likeable performance, much like the role he went on to play later on in “Apne”. An interesting point to note is that whenever Sunny takes on a role opposite Bobby Deol, he seemingly inhibits the more soft-spoken role, an indication perhaps of his real life character traits.

Bobby Deol as the stylish college rouge manages to generate both awe and angst from the audience with his performance, matching Sunny Deol step for step. He proves that he is confident not only with lighter moments but can easily tackle the zealous strands of cinema. Also, in the moments that offer him opportunities of outburst he gives a convincing delivery and manages to span a wide range with the character of Rajvir.

At the time of the films release, Urmilia Matondkar was riding high on the success of Satya and Kaun but also simultaneously facing the backfire of duds such as Janam Samjha Karo and Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain so Dillagi offered her the chance to revert back to essaying the role of the quintessential heroine. However, the role of Shalini is more the guileless college girl rather than glamorous goddess and Matondkar fits into the character effortlessly. Like Bobby Deol, her character too undergoes a variation of emotion from innocuous to downhearted to exasperated giving Matondkar a platform to excel. As well as looking alluring, she manages to bracket her performance in the same league as that of Kajol and Madhuri who have both played the college girl with élan in their respective careers. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that Dillagi is perhaps one of the finest performances to come from Urmilia with regards to her commercial films.

Zohra Segal as the grandmother is one of the sweetest elements of the film, portraying a role that will evoke smiles and laughs every time. Ditto for Reema Lagoo who as always is reliable as the concerned mother.

Dillagi offers a stellar soundtrack which provides excellence throughout. “Sangeet” – a peppy, traditional number which has become immensely popular for many wedding functions and “Dhoom Dhoom Luck Luck” provide the heavy Punjabi theme throughout the film. However, that is not to say the album is all beats and no melody as the soul stirring “Kya Yeh Sach Hai” makes for essential listening for fans of romantic ballads and the energetic title track “Dillagi” which is interspersed throughout the film, is worth a listen purely for its use of ten singers in one track.

A special mention must be given for the bouncy picturisation of “Sangeet” which magnificently captures the mayhem, glee and glory of a sangeet function and appears charmingly rustic as a result.

Initially, Sunny Deol had teamed up with famous Brit director Gurinder Chadha for a project called “London” which after the two parted ways became “Dillagi.” This may be the reason that at times; the film cinematographically takes liberties when referring to the décor of Shalini’s home which appears to resemble London interiors and exteriors within India!

Although Dillagi struggled to find success at the time of its release, it is one of the most highly underrated films belonging to its ilk of traditional love triangles. Sunny Deol in the director’s seat managed to create an engrossing tale sans bathos resulting in a clever conceptualization of modernity meeting love.

Cardinal family viewing, Dillagi mixes familiarity with a splashing of vanguard and as the tagline suggests…The Fun Never Ends.