This blog was originally written on 1st January 2015. Re-updated today October 2025 with new links and some trivia.
Aisa Samaa Naa Hota from Zameen Aasmaan
Singer Lata
Lyrics Anjaan
Being in love is a feeling that has to be experienced to know it. R.D. Burman’s Aisa
Sama Na Hota is a masterclass in restraint and emotional precision. The
composition breathes with space, allowing Lata Mangeshkar’s voice to float like
a memory suspended in twilight. The delicate melody on the flute sets a wistful
tone, evoking the hush of dusk and the ache of unspoken longing. RD resists
his usual flamboyance, instead crafting a soundscape where silence
becomes a collaborator. The melody loops gently, like a thought one cannot let
go of, mirroring the song’s theme of moments that could have been missed had it not been for the loved one.
I couldn't resist writing about the use of Bass. Here the Bass guitar not
as a rhythmic anchor alone, but as a subtle emotional undercurrent. The bass
lines are clean, melodic, and gently syncopated, weaving through the song like
a quiet pulse beneath the surface of longing. Rather than dominating the arrangement,
the bass complements the vocal's and Strings, adding depth to the song’s
reflective mood. It often plays in counterpoint to Lata Mangeshkar’s vocals,
echoing the emotional contours of her phrasing with understated grace. RD’s choice to keep the bass minimal yet
expressive is a testament to his understanding of emotional architecture in
music—where even the lowest frequencies can whisper heartbreak.
Lata’s
phrasing is intimate, almost conversational, as if confiding in the listener
rather than performing. The lyrics, simple yet profound, hinge on the ache of
“had you not been my partner”. RD’s genius lies
in how he lets the song hover in that unresolved space. The orchestration never
overwhelms; it listens as much as it speaks. In its quietude, the song becomes
a meditation on change, memory, and the beauty of what might not have been.
This is one of those songs that RD used to refer to as “Yeh Didi Ka Gaana Hai”. The long high pitched notes of this song are tailor made for Lata’s unending
range of vocals. I am of the view that any other singer would not have given
the same treatment that Lata has given.
The situation is typical Hindi film love duet. The young couple has
recently fallen in love for the first time. They are from good decent families and have decided to
go on a trip by the river somewhere near the high mountains.
The song starts
with a very long piece on flute. It goes
in the traditional Pahaadi territory. This itself sets the tone that the song has been picturised with sierra in the background. We keep on hearing some notes in the
background on the 12 string guitar and Bass guitar and the expectation keeps
building up on what to expect next. And sure enough we hear the crash of the
Cymbals followed by the electric guitar and Tom Toming of the drums. The chorus
starts Pa Ra Pa Pa taking us into the youthful world of romance where even random everyday things enhance romantic moments. Point to be noted here is that the initial pickup (the tom toming at 1:00) on the drums is not balanced. Its
uneven, asymmetric and therein lies the beauty as they give the momentum needed. Franco Vaz is
amazing on the drums.
As soon as Lata starts on a high note Aisa Sama Na Hota, the Madal picks up and the tabla
complements it ... Dhin Dhin Taka Dhin Dhin Taka. Any other music composer would have preferred to use the Dholak here. But then that would have made this song an
ordinary pedestrian love song. It's the combination of Flute, Guitars, Madal that makes
this song fabulous. The Madal by Ranjeet Gajmer (Kancha Bhai) and the flute by Pandit Ronu
Majumdar take you directly to the base of snowclad mountains. The music paints visuals making it easy for the director to plan the filming.
The opening lyrics are in three lines and do not have the traditional
Kafiya (Yamak in Marathi)!
Aisa samaa na hota,
kuch bhi yaha na hota;
Mere humrahi jo tum na hote…
Throughout the song Ramesh Aiyyer's Bass guitar does not leave you for a
second. Its complementary to all the sounds and also fills all the musical
pauses in the song. The interesting part of RD’s bass sounds is that it can't
be compared to that in rock music where it basically follows the rhythm chords.
It is more like a progressive form of jazz where bass most definitely follows a
different and complicated chord pattern. Its like telling a lead guitarist to play
bass guitar! But despite all these technicalities it was his ability to make
his music so listenable that you can enjoy songs without knowing or caring for
the inherent technicalities and complexities that are behind the melody and
rhythm. Yes, it’s amazing the way he mixed melody with Rock! Many times I feel
that the music channels on TV should educate the audience of these nuances of
music. The masses would then begin to appreciate the greatness of all forms of
music.
Coming back to the song, the first antara is typically
short or non existent except for a small piece of flute. The real fun starts in
the music of the second antara (M2). There are three pieces of music. First the
keyboards (3:22), then the Mandolins (3:32) and finally the Violin’s (3:42). Each plays a different
tune in succession. "Listen" carefully and you will agree that these three pieces of music themselves can form the Mukhda of three
different songs!
Raahen wohi waadi wohi badla kucch nahin,
Phir bhi tere milne se hai duniya kyun haseen;
Kahin khwabon mein hum gum na hote,
Mere humrahi jo tum na hote…
Notice the line Kahin khwabon Mein hum gum na hote. She's saying nothing has changed, but now that I’m in love the
same old world has started to look beautiful. Absolute magic! The tempo of the
guitars increase as the speed of her
thoughts take to the next level.
Hum tum jo na milte to na chhata yeh nashaah,
Hota kucch bhi hota, yeh na hota jo hua;
Yahan milte na dil aise khote
Mere humrahi jo tum na hote…
She has been
a happy girl in her own sweet world and has never known what it is to be
intoxicated, but being in love she realises that she’s all tipsy. Lata
pronounces Nasha as Nashah making a playful expression of first love that the
girl is experiencing trying to tell her beloved how the whole world around her
has changed because of his love. This Nasha stays with us as the vocals fade
out with the chorus complementing the end as it has in the beginning. With these words, I leave you with the song. Enjoy the song.
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