Slowly but surely

I remembered this ghazal in the morning. A very simple but very meaningful bit of verse made immortal and easily recognizable by the Shehenshah-e-Ghazal. One that is so simple in its construct and tells of the helpless inevitability of being in love. https://youtu.be/jtzioa3ddKE

Originally from a Paapistani movie, Zeenat, the lyrics are by Tasleem Fazli. It is interesting to see the on-screen depiction of suhaagraat in the land of the impure with typical Indian motifs down to the colour of the saree, pallu over the head and, horror of horrors, a big bindi!! The leftie-sickular gang in India would feel this is a stab in their heart. When they are trying to destroy Indian traditions and culture, here comes a big counterpunch, that too from a least expected source.. https://youtu.be/jcvnQfwLVJ8

The song is wonderful and like a crossover film song that wants to be a ghazal.

Amazingly Mehdisahab never turned this song into a relaxed, lengthy rendition and I for one would love to get my hands on a version or recording where the maestro of the genre has done exactly that. Mehdisahab’s singing has to be unhurried and languorous, not sound hasty and business like, as it inevitably does in his film songs.

रफ़्ता रफ़्ता वो मिरी हस्ती का सामाँ हो गए
पहले जाँ फिर जान-ए-जाँ फिर जान-ए-जानाँ हो गए

दिन-ब-दिन बढ़ती गईं उस हुस्न की रानाइयाँ
पहले गुल फिर गुल-बदन फिर गुल-बदामाँ हो गए

आप तो नज़दीक से नज़दीक-तर आते गए
पहले दिल फिर दिल-रुबा फिर दिल के मेहमाँ हो गए

प्यार जब हद से बढ़ा सारे तकल्लुफ़ मिट गए
आप से फिर तुम हुए फिर तू का उनवाँ हो गए

A very small ghazal with just 4 ash’aar, the bare minimum needed to qualify for a ghazal

Maithili Thakur, the gutsy young girl has done a version of this song and added her own unmistakable flavour to it. I love her spunk and can-do attitude. She pulls off a huge number of songs from very diverse genres from a Marathi Abhang to Stotras, to even My heart will go on from Titanic. https://youtu.be/dr4J9fQhnFY