‘Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana’ is 50 years old and still fresh, immortalized by its poetry, composition and Kishore Kumar’s voice
Swashbuckling Rajesh Khanna in a red sweatshirt. A speedy motorbike navigates Marine Drive traffic efficiently. A quiet hero on a bike humming ‘Zindagi ek safar hai suhana, yaha kal kya ho jaana’ (Life is a blissful journey, who knows what tomorrow will bring).
is from style, a Shammi Kapoor-Hema Malini starrer, which completed 50 years of its release. Superstar Khanna gave 17 consecutive hits between 1969 and 1971, and style became one of them, although he only played a 15-minute cameo in the film.
style There were several distinctive ‘first and last’. The film was Ramesh Sippy’s directorial debut, and the first major project for Salim-Javed, who went on to become a highly successful screenwriter. style Also played a part in Shammi Kapoor’s comeback and was one of his last successes.
High point in playback music
However, the song titled ‘Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana’ was, and remains, in the limelight. Written by poet Hasrat Jaipuri, who won the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist that year, the song remains a high point in Hindi background music. Counted as number one among Kishore Kumar’s yodel numbers, it is the last song recorded by Jaikishan of Shankar-Jaikishan fame, before he died on September 12 of the same year, ending a 22-year musical partnership. Gave.
Shankar-Jaikishan used elements of both Indian classical and western music in their scores and never shied away from out-of-the-box ideas.
By the time Jaikishan died in 1971, he had recorded 104 songs for 19 films in that year alone. Among them, ‘Zindagi Ek Safar’ struck a unique chord with the masses, becoming a huge hit, more so than the film, Kishore Kumar’s yodeling became a phenomenon.
Apart from music and singing, Hasrat Jaipuri’s songs contributed a lot to its success, such as ‘Chand Taaron Se Chalna Hai Aagh, Aasmano Se Badnaam Hai Aagh, Piche Rahe Jayenge Yeh Zamana’. Briefly translated, it means, ‘We leave this earthly world behind and move on from the stars and the moon.’
It is not known whether Kumar suggested yodeling to complement the experiential songs, or it was the composer duo who came up with the innovative idea to enhance the vocal effect.
Considered a method of traditional communication among the shepherds of the Alps in Central Europe, yodeling received a touch of refinement in the 19th century, emerging as a musical form in singing. After this it traveled around the world, reaching India as well.
Back home, the second of the Ganguly brothers, Anup Kumar, had an ear for European folk music, and was thus familiar with yodeling.
Kishor picked it up from his brother and mastered it in no time, and soon started using it in his songs. A popular song from the 1958 film ‘Panch Rupaiya Bada Aana’ moving name garhi, was his first successful attempt, and got him some attention. By the time ‘Zindagi Ek Safar’ became Kumar’s signature style.
Such was the impact of the song that Ramesh Sippy chose to use it thrice in the film in three different positions and in background voices.
For Sheetal (Hema Malini; sung by Asha Bhosle) it became a leitmotif binding the three main characters, it reminded her of her husband Raj (Rajesh Khanna; sung by Kishore Kumar), while Ravi (Shammi) Kapoor; sung by Mohammad Rafi). ) a widower, the song was a note of optimism.
The author is a filmmaker and writer, most recently Banaras: Of Gods, Humans and Stories.
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