Chalo..

The Hindi word ‘Chal’ used for walk doesn’t mean it always. It has too many shades with the usage & each is correct. ‘Mein tere saath chalunga’ is walking together. But I am talking of a different ‘chalo’ today.

The lyrics of “Gumrah” a Hindi film made with beautiful music & lyrics, has this song with Sunil Dutt playing the piano. He is sad at letting his beloved, Mala Sinha , get married to Ashok Kumar. But he doesn’t smash things or throw tantrums. He is singing a sad song in their company.

Chalo ek baar phir se Ajnabi ban jaye hum dono… Let’s become strangers again…

Na mein tumse koi umeed rakhoon dil nawazi ki…Na tum meri taraf dekho galat andaz nazaron se.. I will not have any expectations … nor should you look at me with any hope.. now that we are strangers your eyes will have expressions which are wrong or may be wrongly interpreted.. Who says this today?? You don’t look at me … it will be wrong??

The films & the lyrics were great but this mood set elevated it above the rest. This song is one of eternals… evergreens…

Na mere dil ki dhadkan ladkhadaye meri baato se…. na zahir ho tumhari kashmakash ka raz nazron se… my heartbeats should not change the rhythm with my words … nor should your struggle reflect in your eyes… What a thought! Knowing both are going through rough times, he advises her to keep her war within herself!

Chalo ek baar phir se Ajnabi ban jaye hum dono… Tumhe bhi koi uljhan rokti hai peshkadmi se… mujhe bhi log kehte hai ki yeh jalwe paraye hain.. mere humraah bhi ruswaiyan hain mere maazi ki… tumhare saath bhi guzri hui raaton ke saaye hain… there are memories with us.. we cannot forget it… but today I have to reconcile & know that you are not mine…

Tarruk rog ho jaaye to usko bhoolna behtar… talluk bojh ban jaye to usko todna achha…. the past becomes a disease … lets forget, if it is a burden …let’s break it…

Woh afsana jise anjam tak lana na ho mumkin… use ek khoobsurat mod dekar chhodna achha… this is the best line & the thought which makes the song one of the best songs ever written… the story that cannot reach to it’s climax, let’s give it a beautiful turn & end it… superb! How many can really do this ? without any bitterness, without having the feeling of having failed & living life with a new vigour…..

Every love story cannot be a success story. Not every story is meant to end with a happy end… so why bother ??

Sahir Ludhianvi ‘s words & sung by Mahendra Kapoor, it has the right amount of ‘dard’.Made in 1963 & directed by Ravi, Gumrah is a social film with a message for all. Just beautiful.