Guddu and Sweety from Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey are one of
my favorite couple from Indian cinema. Their chemistry, their love, the way
they react to each other's disabilities, and the way they define their intimacy
are some of the endearing aspects of their relationship. Guddu stammer, and so
does Sweety (She doesn't, but we learn that later why she pretended to), and
they are stuck in the world of mean people trying to make it big in their life.
Sweety and Guddu too have dreams, although not as big as others, but there is something
quite amusing in their relationship which a real couple from real life might
easily relate to.
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So how does Gulzar Saab and Vishal Bhardwaj provide us a fresh perspective of love every time they create a love song,
seems quite straightforward to me, they go right after the characteristics of
the characters the song is based on, that way it might be more easier for them
and for us to relate to those characters, and probably imagine, in certain
situations, how these characters will react in a particular way. I have started
observing the lyrics more closely now, and I noticed that they are hidden
layers of meaning trying to convey the psyche of a character.
There are three versions of 'Pehli Baar Mohabbat' out of
which 2 are used in the film, the remaining one was performed by Vishal
Bhardwaj on MTV unplugged. The first version which we hear in the film is sung
by the Melodious Suresh Wadkar, Rekha Bhardwaj, Sunidhi Chauhan and Kunal
Ganjawaala. Technically the song is titled "Raat ke Dhai Bake" but
it's certainly a form of Pehli Baar Mohabbat ki hai. The song is a fun
representation of marriage chaos, both literally and metaphorically because at
this point Guddu is not too keen about the idea of marriage, but he is
emotionally forced to say Yes for the marriage, because Sharma Ji consummate
his relationship before his marriage (Courtesy of a killer line from Sweety in
an initial scene), so Guddu is sulking, while Sweety is enjoying the most
important moment of her life, and she is far more involved in extra work,
regarding booking of tickets for their honeymoon, whereas Guddu is trying to
force a smile on his face, which has gone missing since the moment it was decided
that both of them will marry. It's not like Guddu does not love Sweety, he
does, but the idea of marriage scares him, on the other hand, this marriage is
important for Sweety, as it gives him a chance to restart his life in a fresh
manner, away from the politics of his brother.
The Pehli Baar Mohabbat ki hai in Raat ke Dhai Baje is more
of a fun take about the typical Indian male psyche, the ones who are not afraid
to form a relationship, have physical intimacy, but when it all comes down to
give commitment, there is some presence of doubt. Guddu is going through this
phase, we know he loves Sweety, but he has yet not accepted the idea of
marriage. He is left with no other option but to sulk internally, and force a
smile on his face. "चौंके चौंके चौंके से खोए खोए से हम, आँखें डूबी डूबी सी सोए सोए से हम"
reflects his wary state of mind, he is lost in the noise around him, eyes are
getting drowsy, "दिल ने कैसी दूरगत की है" courtesy of the calamity his heart has brought upon
him.
"इश्क़ में जलते हुए साँस तेज़ाबी लगे, राज़ खुलता ही नही कोई तो चाबी लगे" says a line, the fire of love, which was once
passionate for Guddu has now turned his breath acidic and raw, which might lead
him to become sour towards their relationship. The secret that Guddu is hiding
in him about being emotionally forced into this marriage is a well-kept secret,
that cannot be opened to anyone, interesting use of the lock and key model to
establish a situation that the character is facing. “हो चिकने चिकने लच्छे है रेशमी से फंदे”, the
silken strands of the noose of love has trapped Guddu, I am quite fascinated by
how love is treated as noose quite often in Gulzar Saab lyrics, and that too
paradoxically. It's as if sometimes people want to get trapped by that noose,
and feel the breathlessness of being in love with somebody, while on the other
hand, it can be used quite literally. “चुपड़ी चुपड़ी बातों में भोले भाले बंदे”, the smooth talks through which
Sweety manipulates Guddu into marriage, “तन्हाई में फ़ुर्सत दी है”, the given isolation and solitude has
given him opportunities to reflect upon his doubt.
"रात कुछ ऐसा हुआ जैसा होता तो नही, थाम के रखा मुझे मैं भी खोता तो नही" the moment of change is brought upon with these
lines, when Guddu actually sees Sweety, and feels her happiness, the night that
is occurring has given birth to a feeling that he hasn't been seen, heard or
felt before, the feeling that has kept him like a prisoner, so he wouldn't be
lost in the thought of his self-doubts. "एक ही लट सुलझाने में सारी रात गुज़ारी है" the long night has been spent
to unravel the single strand of hair, I found this line quite romantic, similar
situation was made in ‘Yaaram’ from ‘Ek Thi Daayan’, where we hear "ज़ुल्फ़ में फँसी हुई खोल देंगे बालियाँ",
Gulzar Saab constructs moments of romance and intimacy in simple interactions
between two people. "जान की गठरी सर पे ले ली, आपने कैसी ज़हमत दी है" instead of keeping his heart on his palms, Guddu has
kept his life on his head, because of the dangerous consequences that might
follow after he marries the sister of a notorious gangster, and despite the
trouble that his better half has given him, he still wants to embrace her with
the innocence and rawness of being in love.
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Now, as the end credits roll in the film, we hear the notes
from a piano, which are soothing and conveying that all is well with the
couple. In the making of the film, Vishal Bhardwaj mentioned that it was him
who was supposed to sing this version, but during the shoot of the song, he
felt that the song needed a younger voice to match with the romance of the
young couple, so finally it was Mohit Chauhan who sang the song. I really like
the way how the entire romantic track between Guddu and Sweety is edited, and
placed in the narrative, you are not fully aware of the story between them, yet
you can sense the chemistry is so spot on. We cut back to the scene in Guddu's
hostel where he is trying to hear her side of story, and she smartly
manipulates him into marriage. A small chitchat follows after that, and when it
is final, she gives away an okay sign to the boys in the hostel, and Guddu is
surprised to see such reaction. Probably, everyone in the hostel knew about the
romance between them, and they wanted to be a part of the conclusion.
Their love starts in college, and since it's a feeling both
of them are facing for the first time in their life, the song 'Pehli Baar
Mohabbat' represents their anxiety, their expectations from each other, how
both of them feel for each other as individuals, and about recalling
significant moment they have had in each other's company. "थोड़े भीगे भीगे से थोड़े नम है हम, कल से सोये वोए भी तो कम है हम" a bit wet, a bit drenched, both literally and
metaphorically, in love and in monsoon of Mumbai, they haven't slept properly
since yesterday, the time when they discovered this feeling inside them for the
first time. The act, that is driven by the force of heart, the act of love,
that both of them have experienced for the first time.
"आँखें डूबी-डूबी सी सुरमई मद्धम, झीलें पानी-पानी है बस तुम और हम, बात बड़ी हैरत की है, पहली बार..." Their eyes are drowning apart in the shadows of
the collyrium, as the presence of water gives a lake an identity, the comfort
they felt in each other's company gives them their own identities. "ख्वाब के बोझ से कंप-कंपाती हुई, हलकी पलकें तेरी याद आता है सब तुझे गुदगुदाना सताना यूँ ही सोते हुए, गाल पे टीपना मीचना बेवजह बेसबब" i
feel this part of the song is entirely dedicated to Sweety confessing about his
feelings for Guddu, the burden to live a life of his dreams is ample, which has caused Guddu's eyelids to quiver regularly, which reminds Sweety of the moments they have
spent together, where she tickled him, teased him while he was asleep, pulled
his cheeks, gently poked on his dimples for no reason whatsoever, and when
Guddu demands an explanation. "याद है, पीपल के जिसके घने साए थे, हमनें गिलहरी के जूठे मटर खाए थे, ये बरक़त उन हज़रत की है" she recalls the time when
dense shades of a peepal tree, where they had eaten leftover peas of a
squirrel, this act of love is a blessing of those moments, a love which they
have experienced for the first time, and for the last time, and love which will
last forever between them.
Amidst the mean group of people, we saw in Kaminey, Sweety
and Guddu stands out as an adorable ‘Kamineys’ who are in love with each other,
since there cannot be a more ‘Kaminey’ feeling than love, it was them who finally
gets a happy ending that they deserved.
Post on Kaminey
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