Jai Ho Gulzar!

Everyone is praising Gulzar for his beautiful composition 'Jai Ho', the song which has suddenly become kinda national anthem for all--more so ever since we got an Oscar for it. People of all age groups seem to be smitten by this song, they are using it as their ringtone/caller tune, politicians are using it as a slogan (you know i even heard (may be read) somewhere that someone from Congress is trying to approach Gulzar. what for? For penning down slogans/songs for their election campaign. I don't know if it is true, but if it is then ...let's not even go there). But I was just wondering, is 'Jai Ho' one of the best that Gulzar ever wrote. I don't think so. No, not that I didn't like the song, I really liked it. But this is not the best that he has ever written.

No, I have nothing against Gulzar (if that is what you could get from my statement); he is a legend who have had always been my all time favorite lyricist. He has given us a whole bunch of beautiful songs in which he has actually woven several incidents from our lives in a manner that it sounds poetry to ears.

He still is. I really love the way he writes; especially his characteristic writing style which I am literally in love with. Soft, simple yet soulful--this is what his lyrics mean to me. Each time when I hear his songs (something that I often indulge myself into), I always find myself in a different world, away from the maddening crowd.

This is the reason why am I writing about this man today. I generally never do that, but don't know why I felt like paying an ode to the legend who is like God to me. Sounds clichéd I know, but true—straight from dil se. I initially thought I would write about him, but I dropped the idea thinking that a person like me won't be able to do justice to his persona (at least not in words). But I somehow couldn't resist the temptation of picking up a couple of his best songs. I initially began with the thought of picking up his top ten, but actually ended with 30. So here is my list of his best songs, in no order of preference.


1) hazaar rahein (tumhein yeh zid thi ki hum bulate, hamien yeh umeed tum pukaro, hai naam hothon pe ab bhi lekin awaz mein pad gayi dararein)
2) kis mod se jaate hain (andhi ki tarah udkar ek raah nikalti hai, ek raah akeli si, chalti hai na rukti hai, yeh soch kar baithi hun, ek raah to who hogi, tm tak jo pahunchti hai)
3) tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa (jee mein ata hai, tere daman mein sir chupa kar hum rote rahein, teri bhi ankhon mein ansuon ki nami toh nahin)
4) dil dhoondata hai fir wahi fursat ke raat din (jaadon ki naram dhup aur aangan mein letkar, aankhon par kheench kar tere aanchal ke saaye ko, aundhe pade rahe kabhi karvat liye hue)
5) aane wala pal (Ek baar waqt se,lamha gira kahin,Wahan daastan mili,lamha kahin nahin......Thoda sa hasake,thoda sa rulake,Pal yeh bhi janewala hain... )
6) Ae zindagi gale laga le (Ae Zindagi gale laga le, Humne Bhi, tere har ik gam ko, gale se lagaya hai...hai na ! Chota sa saya tha, ankhon mein aya tha humne do boondon se man bhar laya humko kinara mil gaya hai zindagi)
7) Tujhse naraaz nahin Zindagi (Aaj agar bhar aayi hain, boonden baras jayengi,Kal kya pata inke liye aankhen taras jayengi,Jaane kahan gum kahan khoya,Ek aansoon chupake rakha tha,Tujhse ... ) another couplet from the same song (jeene ke liye socha hi nahin dard sambhalne honge, muskuraun toh, muskurane ke karz utarne honge, muskuraun kabhi toh lagta hai jaise honthon por karz rakha hai)
8) Do deewane sheher mein (Jab taare zamein par chalte hain, akash zameen ho jata hai, us raat nahin who ghar jata, woh chand wahin so jata hai, pal bhar ke liye in ankhon mein hum ek zamana dhundte hain)
9) Ek akela is sheher mein (in umra se lambi sadkon ko manzil pe pahunchte dekha nahin, bas daidati firti rehti hai humne toh thehrate dekha nahin, is ajnabhi se shehar mein, jana pehchana dhundat hai)
10) Haath Chuthe bhi to (Jinki awaz mein silwat ho nighaon mein shikan, aisi tasveer ke tukde nahin joda karte)
11) surmai akhiyon mein (raat ke rath par jane wale, neend ka ras barsane wale, itna kar de ki meri aankhen bhar de, aankhon mein basta rahe, sapna yeh hansata rahe)
12) yeh saaye hain (yeh saaye hain yeh duniya hai parchahiyon ki, bhari bheed mein khali tanhaeyon ki...) lyrics of this song are awesome
13) Roz roz ankhon tale (Roj roj aankho tale, ek hi sapna chale, raat bhar kajal jale, ankhon me jis tarah khwab ka diya jale )
14) tere ishq mein (raat se rukhi, koyal se kaari, raat kate na hijran wali, tere ishq mein, tere )
15) Seeli hawa chu gayi (jitne bhi tay karte gaye, badhte gaye yeh fasle, meelon se din chod aye, saalon se raat lekar chale...)
16) raah pe rehte hain (jal gaye jop dhup mein toh saya ho gaye, asman ka koi kauna odha so gaye, jo guzar jati hai bas uspe gujar karte hain)
17) Tum Pukar lo (Honth pe liye hue, dil ki baat hum, jagte rahenge aur kitni raat hum, mukhtsar si baat hai, tumse pyar hai)
18) Musafir hun yaaron (Ek raah ruk gai, to aur jud gai,Main muda tho saath-saath, raah mud gai,Hava ke paron pe, mera aashiyana )
19) Maine tere liye hi saat rang (Ruthi raatein, ruthi hui raaton ko jagaya kabhi, tere liye beeti subah ko bulaya kabhi, tere bina bhi tere liye hi diye jalaye raaton mein)
20) Zindagi kaisi hai paheli (kabhi toh yeh man nahin jaage, peeche peeche sapnon ke bhaage, wahi chunkar khamoshi chale jaye sapnon se aage kahan)
21) Asman ke paar shayad (Aasman ke par shayad aur koi aasman hoga, Badlon ke parbathon pe koi baarish kamaka hoga, Mei hawa ke paron pe kaha, Ja raha hun kaha, Kabhi udta hua, kabhi mudta hua, mera rastha chala)
22) Paani pani re (paani paani in pahado ki dhalaano se gujar jaana dhua dhua kuch waadiyan bhi aayengi gujar jaana ek gaon aayega mera ghar aayega…jaa mere ghar jaa…)
23) Thodi si zameen (mere ghar ke aangan me chotaa sa jhoola hai ..soondhi sondhi mitti hogi lepa hua chulha hai… )
24) Do naina aur ek kahaani (chhotee see do zeelon mein, wo bahatee rahatee hai, koee sune yaa naa sune, kahatee rahatee hai, kuchh likh ke aaur kuchh jubaanee)
25) Chod aye hum (Dil dard ka tukda hai, pathar ki dali si hai, ek andha kuan hai ya ek band gali si hai, ik chota sa lamha hai, jo khatam nahin hota, main lakh jalata hun, yeh bhasam nahin hota)
26) Mera kuch samaan (whole of the song is beautiful)
27) Khamosh sa afsana (Khaamosh sa afsaana paani se likha hota, Na tumne kaha hota, na humne suna hota)
28) Mujhe jan na kaho meri jan (Jan na kaho merijaan mujhe, jaan kahan rehti hai sada, deewane tu kya, jaan se jay )
29) Tumhein ho na ho (Mujhe pyar tumse nahin hai, nahin hai, magar fir bhi aisa kyun lgta hai jana, ki kyun meethi lagti hai baatein tumhari, main kyun tumse milne ka dhundun bahana, kabhi maine chaha tumhein chu kar dekhun, kabhi maine chaha tumhein paas lana, magar phir bhi is baat ka to yakeen hai )
30) Shaam se aaknh mein nami si hai (waqt rehta nahin kahin tik kar, iski adat bhi admi si hai, koi rishta nahin raha fir bhi, ek tasleem lazmi si hai)

There are so many others which didn't get a mention over here, not because they are not good, just because they didn't come to my mind instantly when I started recalling Gulzar's songs. Could have added them later but that would've made my post soooooooo long. [:)] Ahem... I know, I know it already is.