Seeli hawaa chhoo gayee

Check this song from Libaas. There’s a married couple Sudhir & Seema (Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi). Both are active in the theatre. He is intense and she tends to rebel. Enter his old friend TK (Raj Babbar) who is very unlike Sudhir. Gradually Seema drifts apart from Sudhir and towards TK. Though the story is about these three main characters, their ego’s and bondage, Libaas like a typical Gulzar film revolves around the female character.

This song is picturised on a boat under moonlight on Shabana and Raj Babbar. She is reminiscing her earlier relationship with Sudhir and what it gave her at the same time looking ahead to a more meaningful newer one with TK. Gulzar’s lyrics are fabulous and RD’s music top class. The songs of this movie are more in the Ghar and Ijazat mode. Like other Gulzar songs this one too is replete with metaphors and puns. One can interpret the words in a number of ways. Sample this - सिली हवा can mean the cold damp wind or the sewn wind. नीली नदी ... can be the blue eyes filled with tears.

The main instruments in this song are the twelve string guitar, keyboards and santoor. The song starts with the twelve string guitar on a melodious note followed by the bass guitar. The bass guitar gives the song the fullness that’s needed. It eliminates the need of percussion instruments. Throughout the song we have interludes with the Santoor. The way Lata effortlessly says hawaaaa …. She almost makes you sense the air …. She follows it with छू गयी bringing out the feel of the cold damp air touching you. The keyboards are played with such lightness and restraint that you almost sense a duet with the bass guitar. Then the Santoor steps in to lead towards the first stanza.

No longer the first stanza gets over, the santoor yet again steps in only to be followed by the keyboards and then the santoor and then they take us into the second stanza.

सिली हवा छू गयी.. सीला बदन छिल गया..

नीली नदी के परे, गीला सा चांद खिल गया..

The cold air touches my soul further bruising my torn body

Beyond the reach of my eyes, even the pristine moon seems wet from the tears in my eyes

तुमसे मिली जो ज़िन्दगी, हमने अभी बोयी नहीं....

तेरे सिवा कोई ना था, तेरे सिवा कोई नहीं..

I am yet to plant the seed of life you gifted me

Living with the belief that nothing other than you ever existed, nothing ever will

जाने कहां कैसे शहर, लेके चला ये दिल मुझे....

तेरे बगैर दिन ना जला, तेरे बगैर शब ना बुझे..

I am unaware of where my heart is taking me (with you)

But without you neither are my days going to lit nor would the night die out

जितना भी तय करते गये, बढते गये ये फ़ासले....

मीलों से दिन छोड आये, सालों सी रात लेके चले.

(Here she refers to the relationship with her husband)

However hard I strived to reach out, the distances just kept on increasing

Carrying the weary darkness of the night with me, I’ve left the days long ago

सीली हवा छू गयी.. सीला बदन छिल गया.....

नीली नदी के परे.. गीला सा चांद खिल गया..