Jaani Dilbar Jaani
Film: Raksha ( 1981)
Producer: P. Mallikarjuna Rao
Director: Ravee Nagaich
Lyricist: Anand Bakshi
Singer: Asha Bhosle
1981 was one of most productive year for R D Burman resulting in 21 smashing albums. Pancham ruled with musical hits like Rocky, Satte Pe Satta, Kudrat, Love Story, Kaalia, Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai among others. Raksha released in that year was yet another tacky spy thriller from Director Ravi Nagaich with whom Pancham had fairly long association starting with The Train and following it up with Mere Jeevan Saathi and Kaala Sona.
My pick from this album is the sensous and pulse racing Asha Bhosle club number “jaani dilbar jaani…” Mind blowing rhythm all the way ! The club / cabaret situation was always up Pancham and Asha’s alley and expectedly they deliver with this one picturised on the heroine Parveen Babi who plays the character of the club singer.
The song starts with a steady stream of flanging guitar notes accompanied by bass guitar and high hats building up the tempo before the killer drum pick-up takes centre stage and sets the tone for the feet stamping rhythm . For me it is the “Flanger and Drum song”
The metre of the mukhda is short with the lilting and slow sign line “jaani dilbar jaani…” with the rhythm on rim shota and cow bells but Pancham packs a punch with the racy cross line “…O..O..O…na tere bas mein na mere bas mein…..” ending with the trademark Asha aha – aha.The change of pace gets your adrenalin rushing and is again masterfully employed in the antaras. All through the sign line the guitar flanging hook phrase can be heard.
The first interlude starts with fast paced electric guitar strumming and the congas and cuts with drum beats leading to the antaras. But this time Asha starts the antara on a high note with the stretched out
kab…kahan…kabhi.. kahin… koi…haseen nazar aa jaaye
Ho gaya dil ye khabar aa jaaye
a single beat pick-up following every word and then reaching a crescendo with a drum roll to match. The lines are repeated before Pancham masterfully employs Asha’s laughter to break the feverish pace, jogging back to the normal tempo with killer crossover “..yaani….lalala lalalah…hah..hah..” to the mukhda. No words just verbal rhythm bridging the antara and the mukhda. Trademark Pancham ! The flanger hook phrase reappears with the sign line. Simply breath taking ! As with song situations in such secret agent movies the lyrics are suggestive and innuendo-filled.
The 2nd interlude is feast of percussion & rhythm starting with bass guitar and cow bells in tandem followed by fabulous solo pieces on conga and drums leading to the second antara.
Ye…badi…buri….umar..bada…bura ye zaman hai
Aadmi aashiq purana hai
The 3rd interlude starts with the brass section followed by some jazz style notes on synthesizer and the tenor sax. On screen Jeetendra the spy is shown entering the club and measurably making his way to a table. Jeetu and Parveen’s eyes meet, furtive side-long glances thrown at the marked man, the tension build-up all happen during this interlude leading to the 3rd antara.
Ye….nazar…jhuki..hui…uti…toh..kya pata kya hoga
Thaam lo ye dil karo tauba
The song aptly ends on a high note with Asha crooning ‘jaaniiiiiiii…’
How we wish the song picturization and Parveen’s enactment complimented Pancham’s Super music.
Girish Iyer
panchammagic.org
