Ghazals from Films - Tum Ko Dekha To

 I heard about this song 'Seene Mein Jalan' from Chanti, my sister, who had heard it when a senior sang it at their annual day function at REC, Warangal. I don't know why that song caught my attention but it did, and I searched for it with no idea which movie it was from. That being in the mid-80s there was no way of finding it unless by chance. And one day while at home someone played the song on radio and I quickly taped half of the song. It stayed in my mind, those few stanzas and I was hooked to it.

Many years later I chanced upon this cassette which had assorted ghazals from films. I liked the sound of the Hindi film ghazals and picked it up to see if I knew any songs. 'Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho,' 'Karoge yaad to', 'Huzur is kadar', 'Kagaz ki kashti', 'Tum ko dekha to' and 'Dil dhoondtha hai' (Dad's favourite song) were all lovely numbers but what gladdened my heart was 'Seene mein jalan'. It was from a movie called Gaman and later I'd learn that Amol Palekar acted in it.

I bought that tape instantly and listened to the songs endlessly, 'Seene mein jalan' a lot more than the others. I learned the lyrics of the song and tried to sing it as well when i was drunk and had no inhibitions. It still remains one of my favuorite collections, this cassette collection, with Jagjit Singh, Suresh Wadkar and others. 

I know clearly when I should listen to this song. Its the type you sit down and listen to with a glass of rum and coke in hand, lights dimmed, with someone on the right wavelength who does not speak too much and enjoys the music. I'd dedicate it to Chanti who introduced me to this song though I wonder if she remembers it.

Seene mein jalan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rz6JfgCJtk

Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju6kNKaBOQ8

Woh kagaz ki kashti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB0hmrY_s0U

This one for my dad who loved this song - a carefree number he'd listen to at home!

Dil dhoondhta hai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8s4Mb1sgN0