It began as one of those really lovely twitter chats. A conversation about music. About love. About friendship. And, before i know it, i was looking at music that is about an all consuming/consuming love for Agents of Ishq

There is lust. there is like. there is love. And, then there is the love that transcends time and space, life and death; the love that does not speak it’s name – but is there like an eternal light. The love that is depicted in Bollywood. The love that may never find a physical manifestation; where lovers may never come together – but it is the strongest love of them all. It is a love that is closer to the being in love with God as depicted in Bhakti rasa, or in the qawallis sung by the Sufis. A love where God is personified as the lover. As with God, and you having no ego with God, the love songs I am going to list here are about a love where you have no issues subsuming your own identity in that of your lover. A love that is so pure, and yet so strong , that just hearing about it makes your heart smile.
Mora Gora Ang Laile (Bandini) . Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, and picturised on Nutan, the song is the Gulzar’s first outing as a lyricist. The song can be interpreted either way. A woman telling her lover to take her fair body, and give her his dark body; or it can be seen as what the music director SD Burman saw it as, a Vaishnava song that celebrates the love of Radha and Krishna.

Ehsaan Tera Hoga Mujhpar (Junglee) – There are two versions of this song, one sung by Mohd Rafi and picturised on Shammi Kapoor, the other by Lata Mangeshkar, for Saira Banu. While both are excellent, I am partial to the Rafi version Written by Hasrat Jaipuri, and music composed by Shankar Jaikishen, the song, in both it’s versions, endures. When he sings, in the last stanza
“Chaahe bana do chaahe mita do
Mar bhi ge to denge duwaaen
Ud ud ke kahegi khaak sanam
Ye dard-e-mohabbat sahane do

My heart does a little back flip, eachtime i hear those lyrics.

 

Chupa Lo yu dil mein pyaar mera (mamta) : fellow feminists (and i love saying that just to rile some of my sisters)  have had issues with me, each time I have shared this song. I don’t see it as being anti woman, or a reinforcement of patriarchy. I see it as a love so strong, that it transcends everything. And, if you have seen the film Mamta with Ashok Kumar and Suchitra Sen, you will know what I mean. Heman Kumar’s minimalist music direction just makes the song that much more sublime.

“Ye sach hai jina tha paap tum bin ,

Ye paap mainne kiya hai ab tak;

Magar hai man men chhabi tumhaari,

Ke jaise mndir men lau die ki”

Lyrics are by Majrooh Sultanpuri

The Ishq ishq hai ishq Qawali (Barsat ki Raat) : The mother of all love songs. A 9 minute Qawali that talks about the nature of love. Written by Sahir – who else could write about love in such a nuanced manner.  I am fairly sure, that song if released today, would attract mobs that shout ‘it is insulting our culture and our faith’. When Rafi takes off in the last stanza to sing, super music composition by Roshan – you get a glimpse of what that kind of love is supposed to be.

Allah Rasool Ka Farmaan Ishq Hai, Yaane Hafeez Ishq Hai, Quraan Ishq Hai

Gautam Kaa Aur Maseeh Ka Armaan Ishq Hai, Ye Kaaynaat Jism Hai Aur Jaan Ishq Hai

Ishq Sarmad, Ishq Hi Mansoor Hai, Ishq Moosa, Ishq Koh-E-Noor Hai

Khaaq Ko But, Aur But Ko Devta Karta Hai Ishq, Intaha Ye Hai Ke Bande Ko Khuda Karta Hai Ishq

Mein Benaam ho gaya – Narendra Chanchal singing a very underrated song from the film Benaam. Lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri, and music by RD Burman, the song is the most direct description of this immersive love. Ever since I fell in love with you, I have no identity of my own, sings the singer.

yaaraa o yaaraa, ishq ne maaraa, ho gayaa main to tujh men tamaam

de rahe sab mujhe, teraa naam, main benaam ho gayaa

 

 

Is this love real, or is it a creation of poets and romance writers – one can never be sure. A love so powerful that nothing matters except being in love, and the person you are in love with. Not work, not money, not friends, not self, not family – just the lover. It is a good space for films and film music, but I dare say, it is a terrible space for real life.  But, as an idea, a concept, it is something wonderful to aspire for. But, we should be glad that most of us have rather more mundane love stories to tell.

(Raj Kapoor & Nargis : Shree 420. for the longest time ideas of romance, for me, revolved around sharing an umbrella, and riding on the handlebar of a bicycle — thankfully, i grew up 😀 )