If the world only comprised narcissists at one extreme, and the most polite and courteous who profusely praise others at the other end, it would be a very boring place. Things are never black and white. There are various shades of grey in life. In our interactions we often cannot resist the temptation of putting-down a pompous person by a clever repartee, prick his ego by a smart one-liner, use various figures of speech from irony, pun, tongue-in-cheek statements, sarcasm to trenchant scorn. Even with dear friends or respected persons we often indulge in mild leg-pulling and harmless humour.
BBC TV series Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister is a hilarious satire on politician-civil servant relationship in which the wily permanent secretary/cabinet secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby (played by Nigel Hawthorne) uses various stratagems to frustrate the proposals of the Minister, innocent about the ways of the bureaucracy. In an award function for the series, the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, a big fan of the series, offered to write a short skit of the main characters and persuaded the makers of the series to let her play herself in the skit. The result is the witty side of the dour and fearsome lady, when the tables are turned on Sir Humphrey.
One important opposition leader unfortunately has become the butt of some unkind barbs, and he finds it impossible to get out of it. His interview by Arnab Goswami set Hitler screaming at his generals in his bunker when informed that the interview has become a threat to the German entertainment industry.
The above clip from the German film Downfall (2004), on the last days of Hitler in his bunker, has become a favourite of funsters around the word, and there are a large number of spoofs in which the sub-titles are changed to fit into some local funny situation.
We have now become the most offended society. If you are not easily offended you have to keep quiet, and not make provocative statements like, what is so offensive about the film PK or the web series Tandav or Ashram? I felt that one of the shows of the stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra I watched on the YT was quite funny, but when he came out of the hall he was roughed up by the vigilantes of our religion. Except this blog which is quite specialised, I shun social media, I shun religion and I shun politics. But even on this blog there are times when someone turns abusive on some joke or some irreverent humour the person does not get. They have to be blocked to maintain the standard of the blog.
This song has the bluntest snub by a woman to a man. She is very clear that the guy has to be BA pass to flirt with her. The man tries to show his BA degree, she dismisses it with scorn with choicest slangs:
The men claim that the beautiful damsels would have been quite restless if they were not there. The women on the other hand are quite clear that without them the men would have been ignorant about love. The song continues in this vein throughout.
Sulochana Kadam rose to immense popularity because of the song Chori chori aag si dil mein lagakar chal diye from this film. In this duet the hero Ajit and the heroine Meena Shorey, each tries to profess that he/she is not in love with the other.
In sapera-nagin legend, the snake-charmer is thought to be an evil person with some special powers. He casts his spell on the nagin by his been and captures her in his basket. But here the lore is turned 180 degrees. Kumkum dares the guy that she is a bewitching nagin going to dance and would see how he can resist playing his been. The man pleads that he has but a tiny heart and please do not shear it bit by bit.
Now comes the mother of all roasting songs. Mehmood has to be put in his place as Bhola (Sunil Dutt) and Panch Ratna Natak Mandali (led by the Guru, Kishore Kumar) realise that the girl is not in love with Mehmood but with his art. Mehmood as Master Pillai gives an unrestrained performance in his get up of a Tambam with a heavy South Indian access. Look at the words Kishore Kumar uses for Mehmood: Kala re ja re ja re, jaake naale ke pani mein munh dho ke aa, and Tujhe suron ki samajh nahi ayi/ Tune kori ghaas hi khayi. Mehmood is brilliant in his comic role. When he is led astray from the note, he is in jitters: Ye gadbadji, ye sur badla. Ye sur kidharji, ye hum chhodega nahiji, Ye akad ke rakhega ji.
AKji,
One more thoroughly enjoyable post with a brilliant write-up.
Really impressed the way you come up with such innovative topics.
The clip from Downfall is too good, more so with the wonderful subtitles!
The spoof clip of Downfall is really superb. I think I saw the movie after I had seen the clip. The movie is, obviously, excellent. It is available on the Interest for free watching on ok.ru. It is a Russian site and difficult to navigate. But once you find it, it has a wonderful collection of classics from all over the world.
AKji,
A straight hit for a six. Repeatedly producing such innovative posts can happen when a fertile brain takes on the mind.
Kudos for the collection of appropriate songs. Must be gifted with a remarkable memory to recollect the songs with appropriate lyrics.
Thanks for embedding the clippings from Yes minister/ prime minister and Downfall with sub-titles which enhanced your brilliant write-up.
Posting two versions of the song Kusoor Aap Ka from Bahar (1951). Hope they fit the bill.
Mr Muli @16,
Towards the end Jaane Bhi Do Yaro with the dead body Satish Shah also playing a great role becomes a deadly farce. Your comment is a very good satire on the present times. I hope we have not lost the ability to see a farce as a farce.
Your first entry was from Madan Mohan. He had given a number of such songs to us. Siva has posted the Anpadh song, which I also wanted to post. Still I would give other songs from him. Coincidentally all are written by Rajinder Krishan.
A counter from the female side comes from a film from the same year Sheesh Mahal. Here Shamshad playbacks for Naseem Bano who is giving sage advice to Nigar Sultana. A Vasant Desai creation written by Shams Lucknawi.
Husnwalon ki galiyon men jana nahin
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Ram naam japna paraya maal apna: I am impressed by your knowledge, recall and making connections. I knew of Namak Halal. The other two I heard for the first time. Especially the one from Suvarna Sundari which had the raagmalika Kuhu kuhu bole koeliya was quite surprising and is also superb.
Mr Muli 226,
This is brilliant. Earlier Dr Shetty found three references to Raam naam japna paraya maal apna. In the first one, the lady tries to mount a defence, but the man backed by Rafi has first-mover advantage. The second song carries the sweetness of Lata Mangeshkar-C Ramchandra combination. Nutan has the field to herself. Thanks for these additions. Now you should discover songs on all our proverbs of scorn, such as Bandar kya jaane adarak ka svad or Bandar ke haath mein chameli ka tel or Bhains ke aage been bajay, bhains baithi pagurai. The third song you rightly said it was eminently forgettable.
Hans @27,
You have posed an interesting issue: Tum nahin samjhoge. This situation is quite universal in human interaction. This seems to be independent of Narcissism-Sarcasm-Praise axis. But thanks, it is an interesting topic.
AK ji,
You are proving again and again that you can bring out pearls after pearls from your creative thinking in unusual but interesting topics for variety of songs. No wonder readers and lovers of music flock here and participate enthusiastically.
All the best to you.
-AD
Rahul @ 26 posted two songs in one of which a male calls the female bandariya and in the other it is reversed. I present here a song in which they give each other these titles and much more. It is a parody song.
At the outset let me confess I am not that proficient in Hindi.
Comments and songs pouring in and here are my two drops in the bucket. May be they are not exactly proverbs of song, hope they are apt for the post.
Mr Muli @52,
Kahan Raja Bhoj kahan Gangu/Bhojua teli is a very nice song adapting from a famous proverb (the link is of the second song, a repetition). By now in the post and the comments, following proverbs/ idiomatic usages have been used:
1. Naach na jane na aangan tedha
2. Naale ke pani mein munh dho ke aa. Some years back Amir Khan acted in a series of commercials for Coca Cola, highlighting its price had come down from RS 6 to 5. In one of them, someone still quoted the price as RS 6. Amir Khan used the snub, Jaiye munh dho ke aiye
3. Ram naam japna paraya maal apne/ Baahar se kuchch aur andar se kuchch aur.
4. Chaar sau bees.
5. Koode mein phenk aao.
6. Bhaand mein jaaye aisa pyar.
7. Naam bade aur darshan chhote. The best song on this is Bholi surat dil ke chhote.
8. Kitna badal gaya insan.
9. Kauwa chala hans ki chaal.
10. Ye munh aur masoor ki daal.
11. Sabke data Ram.
12. Paisa phenk tamasha dekh
13.Shor hai gali gali.
14. Buddha ghoda lal lagam.
Venkataramanji @59,
You have discovered two great songs on proverbs. At @61, I have listed a big list of proverbs, tongue-in-cheek statements covered in the main post and comments. I have also given a big list of potential candidates. Much easier is songs conveying the meaning of the proverb.
I think it is time to revisit the song Andher nagari chaupat raja a satire sung by Md.Rafi, S D Batish, Manmohan Krishna & Asha Bhosle and composed by Madan Mohan for the 1955 film Railway Platform. The proverb, of course, points to a city of darkness headed by a leader who knows not what is just or unjust.
Yes, I agree some credit should go to Leena Chandravarker for the rise of our women stars. The only problem is the time-line. Prakash Padukone seems to be a direct outcome. In one film there was a Kabaddi song Ho tu tu tu. Someone has to study the timeline. I think that was an inspiration for India becoming Kabaddi superpower. Out of jealousy, the world body has removed the game from international tournaments.
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