"Waqt ne Kiya..."
Anand Tiwari
Hi everybody,
Classically Hindi cinema has two schools of song picturisations.
The Raj kapoor school and the Guru Dutt school.The basic difference in both
the schools is the approach.Raj Kapoor has a more flamboyant approach and
Guru Dutt even in his most fun filled songs tends to be subdued.*
The song i wish to discuss is "Waqt Ne Kiya.." from Kagaz ke phool
sung with so much pathos by Geeta Dutt whose professional decline had
started with her refusing to sing for outside banners (on the insistence
of Guru dutt himself) by that time.This can be argued but in fact in
my opinion the beginning of the end for the Dutts begins with pyaasa
itself.
Kaagaz ke phool as the title itself suggests is a defeatist film.Paper
flowers which neither have smell or the naturalness about them signify
the emptiness ,the vaccum, the soullessness of the protagonists life.
Personally torn between two women Guru Dutt was a classic dilemma.
Quoting the article from Filmfare titled "The Agony and the Ecstasy"
he wanted them both.Kaagaz ke Phool is more than a semi-autobiography
of Guru Dutt.It stands for everything dark in this world especially
failure.As we see from the movie Guru Dutt was somehow paranoid about
failure.Kaagaz Ke Phool is perhaps his worst dreams come true live on
celluloid.
Reverting back to the song.It is shot in a studio.The lighting throughout
the song is absolutely original in concept and vital to the final effect
of the song.We have Guru Dutt on one side in a coat and smoking a pipe
and Waheeda rehman on the other. Her costume (the Sari and her makeup)
have a distinct Bengali touch to it.The wordings of the song themselves
outline the helplessness of the situation.
Witness -:
"Chal Pade Magar Raasta nahin"
or
"Kya Talaash hai Kuch pata nahin"
Kaifi Azmi wrote the song and he himself said that one of the mysterious
points in Kagaz Ke Phool is that nobody is clear as to what exactly Guru dutt
wanted to say.There are meanings within meanings.In one scene we find
a transformation in Waheeda Rehman.she appears in a white sari and
is illuminated in an otherwise dark background song.Her Bengali make up
can also be a reference to Geeta Dutt.(The song definitely has overtones
of Guru Dutt's personal life in my opinion)
At one point in the song both Guru Dutt and Waheeda rehman are shown
standing opposite to each other and we have a beam of light in the
centre and their "essences" go forward and mingle with each other.Even
this shot is open to many interpretations.
Another interesting point about the song itself is that Kaifi Saab had to
write and re write the song many times because Guru Dutt would not be
satisfied with whatever he came up with.Finally Guru Dutt was expaserated
but Kaifi saab asked for one last go at the song situation.And that is
when he came up with "Waqt Ne Kiya kya hassen situm, Tum rahe na tum
hum rahe na hum"
The song has many things to it but there is an underlying urge in
the song which suggests that the two people want to meet some where
in the domain of time.It also outlines disenchantment and a failure
to get out of the abyss of darkness.Frankly it would be beyond anybody
to interpret the song as the creator interpreted it.No amount of research
can give a complete insight into what the director "really" meant to
say.A final point.The impact delivered by this song (you have to re wind
and see it a couple of times before you form any opinion) is solely
due to the words of Kaifi saab,the vision of Guru Dutt,the soul of
Geeta Dutts voice and the dexterity of V.K.Murthy the cinematographer.
(This is one of the rare songs where you would like to know where the
shadow falls etc etc)
Kagaz Ke Phool was released in 1958 and was the first movie to be
shot in cinemascope.License was obtained by 20th century fox.A commercial
disaster of the worst kind.It was the last movie Guru Dutt officially
directed.
regards
Anand
* subdued does not imply that the fun element was missing.Witness
"Jaane kahan Mera Jigar" (Mr and Mrs 55) "Sun Sun Sun Zalima" (Aar-Par)
and quite a few songs are very enjoyable.However Guru Dutt stuck to
the trolley and the camera was always close to the actor.In general
it foccussed mostly on the face and particularly on the eyes.In his
opinion the eyes say it all.
"Hum Gham zada hain laayen kahaan se khushi ke geet
Denge wahi jo paayenge is zindagi se hum"
(Mohd Rafi reciting the Sahir sher in "pyaasa")