Raah Pe Rahte Hain

Today's song is one of the best compositions of Pancham-Gulzar-Kishore – Raah Pe Rahte Hai from Namkeen. Another fabulous song after Phir Se Aiyo Badra Bidesi. The movie had bombed at the box office and the song got lost wilderness. Everything about this song is top class – RD’s music, Gulzar’s words and Kishore’s rendition.

Namkeen was made by Gulzar was based on Samaresh Basu's Akal Basant. In Gulzars words, Namkeen is a story of an incomplete family of three sisters and their mother, their alcoholic father and the tenant truck driver with fabulous performances by Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi and Waheeda Rehman.

 Orchestration and arrangement: Resso resso, Bongo, Bass Guitar, violins, santoor and chorus. The entire song is woven around a basic rhythm played on resso resso, bongos and bass guitar.

Trivia-
The words ख़ुश रहो अहले वतन, हम तो सफ़र करते हैं are actually taken from Ram Prasad Bismil's poem. He was a revolutionary and Bhagat Singh's friend in the war of Independence.

The song can be heard (good recording) here
https://youtu.be/vWaJh50aqJI



Or see here for the visuals
https://youtu.be/1nKpafPZZCw

राह पे रहते हैं यादों पे बसर करते हैं 
खुश रहो अहले वतन हो हम तो सफर करते हैं

The song starts with a riff on guitar instantly followed by violins, bass guitar and the pickup on bongo and resso. This is a road song and the rhythm of the Resso ensures that we too get the feel of sitting in a moving vehicle. The violins play in dual tones. The main sound is in Bass while the followups are in high pitch. The follow through on Santoor leads the vocals by Kishore. Note how the violins accompany the vocals all the time in the background almost as if they were a part of the main vocals.

The music before the first Antara going in RD’s tradition is typically short. It is amazing how Kishore adds value in small nuances. After "Jal Gaye Jo Dhoop mein toh saaya ho gaye" notice how he renders "Aasmaan Ka Koi Kona Odha So Gaye" Note the minutest pause after “Koi Kona” and after "Odha". By these “Harkats” we can visualize the poet’s thoughts of a traveler (or a wanderer) being perfectly at ease pulling a corner of the sky to tuck in himself to sleep. These metaphors are vintage Gulzar!

जल गये जो धूप में तो साया हो गये \- २
आसमाँ का कोई कोना ले थोड़ा सो गये 
जो गुज़र जाती है बस उसपे गुज़र करते हैं 
हो राह पे रहते हैं यादों पे बसर करते हैं 
खुश रहो अहले वतन हो हम तो सफर करते हैं

The interlude music for the second antara starts abruptly in a completely different scale with a tense repetitive sound on the synthesizer. The visuals show the driver of the truck negotiating a sharp hair pin bend while going downhill. One can’t but think if the visuals prompted the sound or is it the other way? As soon as the turn (on the road!) is completed, the Madals set the tempo for flute, bongo, a longish piece on violins and Santoor to lead us into the second antara.

The lines of the second antara bring out the mindset of the traveler-

उड़ते पैरों के तले जब बहती हैं ज़मीन \- २
मुड़के हमने कोई मंज़िल देखी ही नहीं 
रात दिन राहों पे हम शामो सहर करते हैं 
हो राह पे रहते हैं यादों पे बसर करते हैं 
खुश रहो अहले वतन हो हम तो सफर करते हैं

The way Kishore sings "Dekhi Hi Nahi" its almost as if he is letting out his secret.

The music of the third antara is simply amazing. It starts with the chorus going “Sa Ma, Sa Ma, Sa Ma …..” It can be argued if it should have been Pa Sa Pa Sa and probably goes against the technical norms of music, but it sounds great! RD then does the unexpected and introduces Taar Shehnaai with its swar cut abruptly in an echo followed by the by now familiar Santoor leading into the third antara. This same tune continues till the end of the song indicating that that’s the way his life goes on.

ऐसे उजाड़े आशियाँने तिनके उड़ गये 
हो ऐसे उजाड़े आशियाँने तिनके उड़ गये 
बस्तियों तक आते आते रास्ते मुड़ गये 
हम ठहर जायें जहाँ उसको शहर कहते हैं 
हो राह पे रहते हैं यादों पे बसर करते हैं 
खुश रहो अहले वतन हो हम तो सफर करते हैं