Thak Gaya Hoon Mujhe Sone Do

Thak Gaya Hoon Mujhe Sone Do

While I was rummaging through my collection of RD-Gulzar songs looking for something different, I rediscovered this song from the Jabbar Patel directed unreleased film “Musafir” (1984). This film is based on Vijay Tendulkar’s famous Marathi play, “Ashi Paakhare Yeti”. Naseeruddin Shah is the main protagonist supported by Moon Moon Sen (his wife) and Rekha.Music by RD and lyrics by Gulzar.

Background – Naseer is successful professional. His wife Moon Moon is very broad minded and continues her very open relationships with her friends. Naseer is upset over this and this the point main point of stress in the their relationship. It upsets Naseer so much that one day he kills her. After that he feels a very odd sense of relief, but reality dawns on him and he runs away. This song is a road song as it shows his journey from Mumbai to a remote village in South India.

The song can be found here 

The song has a typical Gulzarish situation wherein the protagonist realises he’s been staring at the moon for far too long and he needs to sleep. The song starts with riffs on the guitar followed by synthesizers, flute and violins. The rhythm is provided by bass guitar and Dholaks.

बहुत रात हुई
मैं थक गया हूँ,...मुझे सोने दो
चाँद से कह दो उतर जाए, बहुत बात हुई...
मैं थक गया हूँ,...मुझे सोने दो

The interlude music of the first antara is unusually long for a RD Burman song. Typically RD uses only a small piece of music for the first antara such that the antara continues from where the Mukhda ended. But here we find pieces from synthesizer, santoor and violins used in the longish interlude music. The video conveys the various modes of transport that the main protagonist takes and he travels aimlessly.

ज़िन्दगी के सभी रास्ते सर्द हैं

अजनबी रात के अजनबी दर्द हैं...

याद से कह दो गुज़र जाए

बहुत बात हुई...

मैं थक गया हूँ,...मुझे सोने दो

बहुत रात हुई...

The second antara starts with the violins taking over from where the vocals end with the Sarod and Santoor used to convey the turns on road. This is followed by violins that stop abruptly as the protagonists reflects on his home and past. This antara starts at a pitch lower than the first antara as he recollects the good times that he has spent. Observe one thing - The first antara has only 3 lines while this second antara has 5 lines. The first antara reflects his present state while the second is about his past.

The first and the third antara's are like Triveni's. Triveni is an interesting form of poetry that Gulzar created. The first two lines are like a "sher" and the third line gives a twist to the meaning of the poetry or makes a statement.

आशियाँ के लिए चार तिनके भी थे
आसरे रात के और दिन के भी थे
ढूँढ़ते थे जिसे वो ज़रा सी ज़मीन
आसमान के तले खो गयी कहीं...
धूप से कह दो उतर जाए, बहुत बात हुई
मैं थक गया हूँ,...मुझे सोने दो
बहुत रात हुई...

The last antara is again a short one of 3 lines as he returns to the present. The song takes the protagonist through night and day using car, train, boats. Here the typical “Manjhi” effect plays as RD plays the guitar Ektara style supported by Dumroo & Flute with RD’s vocals going “O Moloya, Chalo Dheere Dheere”

याद आता नहीं अब कोई नाम से
सब घरों के दिए बुझ गए शाम से
वक़्त से कह दो गुज़र जाए, बहुत बात हुई
मैं थक गया हूँ,...मुझे सोने दो