Kuchh log vaise bhee to hote haiN

Film: Kaala Patthar
Year of release : 1979
Spoken by : Vijay Pal Singh (Amitabh Bachchan)
Spoken to : Dr. Sudha Sen (Raakhee Gulzaar)

While tending to Vijay's wounds, Sudha asks him how long he has been around in the mines. In India, (especially some parts of North India) it is common even in casual conversation with rank strangers for the interlocutors to try and figure out each other's place of origin. Dr Sudha does the same when she asks him - तुम वैसे कहां के हो?

Vijay generally in most films does not give a straight answer to a straight question. Indulges a lot in what we call - tark kutark - तर्क कुतर्क. So how does he answer this easy question

"बचा सवाल के मैं कहां का हूं, तो कुछ लोग वैसे भी तो होते हैं, जो कहीं के नहीं होते"

bachaa savaal ke maiN kahaaN kaa hooN, to kuchh log vaise bhee to hote haiN, jo kaheeN ke naheeN hote

UTh jaayenge do chaar mulaaqaatoN meN

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film : Waqt
Year of release : 1965
Spoken by : Ravinder Kumar Khanna aka Ravi (Sunil Dutt)
Spoken to : Raja (Raj Kumar)

When Meena (Sadhna) goes to the airport to receive Ravi, Raja also goes there, looking for Meena. The exchange between Ravi and Raja, which clearly underlines their rivalry in love has been briefly covered in one earlier post - goyaa voh alag baandh ke rakkhaa hai.

Ravi appreciates the diamonds on Raja's coat and says they are very good. Raja retorts

बढिया तो हम भी बहुत हैं, मगर ये आपको अभी पता नहीं चलेगा

badhiyaa to ham bhee bahut haiN, magar yeh aapko abhee pataa naheeN chalegaa

इतने पर्दे डाल रक्खे हैं आपने - कोई बात नहीं - उठ जायेंगे दो चार मुलाक़ातों में

Itne parde Daal rakhe hai aapne – koee baat nahee – uTh jaayenge do chaar mulaaqaatoN me

I am reminded of the famous couplet from the Mehdi Hasan ghazal

प्यार जब हद से बढ़ा सारे तक़ल्लुफ़ मिट गये

आप से फिर तुम हुये फिर तू का उनवां हो गये

The formalities between friends disappear after a few interactions.

Ham aanewaale gham ko kheenchtaan ke aaj kee khushee par le aate haiN

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film : Anand
Year of release : 1971
Spoken by : Anand Sehgal (Rajesh Khanna)
Spoken to : Dr Bhaskar Bannerjee (Amitabh Bachchan)

It is not an ideal line for this blog, as it is too long. But then the concept is so real and relevant. If I recall correctly, one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's friends who was a journalist (a MalayaaLee Christian name that I cannot remember), used to say this very often. Hrishida was very taken in by the concept and used it in his film too.

Anand is approaching death and he finds Bhaskar getting more irritable every day. One such day when Anand is in a jovial mood and is trying to get Bhaskar also into a similar mood, Bhaskar snaps at him rather rudely. Anand decides to go back to Delhi, as he can no longer watch his own death - reflected in the fear and the behaviour of his friends. He feels that he is alive till the time he dies and he would not like to be reminded of the impending death all the time. And when Bhaskar behaves in such a serious and irritable manner, that is exactly what is happening. Suddenly, Bhaskar realises that Anand is right and promises to stop being irritable and serious. Immediately, Anand lightens up and says, you know the problem is that we actually take the present value of future troubles and start worrying about it. We are never able to enjoy the present moment.

I quite agree with Anand. In fact a friend of mine would say when everything was going fine, that it was the calm before the storm. That something really bad was going to happen. Always reminded me of this line from Anand,

Ham aanewaale gham ko kheenchtaan ke aaj kee khushee par le aate haiN

हम आनेवाले ग़म को खींचतान के आज की ख़ुशी पर ले आते हैं

khaa gayee naa aap bhee kapDoN se dhokhaa

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film: Shree 420
Year of release : 1955
Spoken by : Raj (Raj Kapoor)
Spoken to : Vidya (Nargis)

Immediately after the famous song 'eechak daanaa', Raj rings the bell and all kids run away. Vidya is very angry. Raj is dresssed as a tramp and Vidya is making no secret of her disdain for him. She calls him an illiterate bumpkin and wonders if Raj would want that the kids also end up like him. Raj protests.

This is the exchange between them

Raj : Main graduate hooN...BA pass मैं ग्रॅजुएट हूं ...बी ए पास

Vidya : BA pass ...huh. ek aur jhooTh. zaraa apanaa huliyaa to dekho. college ke paDhe likhe graduates kee yeh soorat hotee hai?

बी ए पास...हह...एक और झूठ. ज़रा अपना हुलिया तो देखो. कॉलिज के पढे लिखे ग्रॅजुएट्स की ये सूरत होती है?

Raj : khaa gayee naa aap bhee kapDoN se dhokha!

खा गयीं ना आप भी कपडों से धोखा!
Agar aaj main ek badhiyaa suit pehne, shaandaar gaadee me baiThkar yahaan aataa to shaayad aap mujhe badtameez, jaahil ganwaar na kehteeN…aur isme aapkaa koee dosh nahee hai…jis duniyaa me aap rehtee hain wahaan insaan ke dil aur dimaag kee naheeN, uske kapdo kee izzat hotee hai. Sharkskin ke suit, silk kee kameezen aur georgette kee saaRiyon kee izzat hotee hai.

अगर आज मैं बढिया सूट पहने, शानदार गाडी में बैठकर यहां आता तो शायद आप मुझे बदतमीज़, जाहिल गंवार न कह्तीं ...और इसमे आपका कोई दोष नहीं है...जिस दुनिया में आप रहतीं हैं, वहां इंसान के दिल और दिमाग़ की नहीं, उसके कपडों की इज़्ज़त होती है. शार्कस्किन के सूट, सिल्क की कमीज़ें और जॉर्जॅट की साड़ियों की इज़्ज़त होती है".

Great socialistic monologue which worked very well in that era. But the message in that one line is still relevant. It happens all the time. So either you can keep complaining about it - as Raj does. Or make it work to your advantage. As Raj himself does in the later half of the movie.

Itnee dostii nahee hai ki vajah bataa sakooN

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film: Laagaa Chunri mein Daag
Year of release: 2008
Spoken by : Vibhavari (Rani Mukherjee)
Spoken to : Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan)

Normally most of the complimentary comments that I get are for posts pertaining to the 1970s (or earlier). I do feature newer lines too, but even when I write them, my heart is not entirely in it.

But this is one line from a new film which left an indelible mark on me. I found tears welling up in my eyes (inspite of myself).

Vibhavari is a high society call girl and her family has no clue about it. Her family thinks she has a corporate communications job with the private sector - and that is the source of her new found wealth. Her corporate avatar has also resulted in a new name. She is now called Natasha in the corporate circles. Her younger sister Shubhaavari (Konkona Sen Sharma) aka ChhuTkee, is getting married to a 'decent upper middle class' boy called Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor). During the marriage ceremony, she comes to know that Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan) is Vivaan's elder brother. Vibhavari has already met Rohan in Switzerland on one of her corporate junkets and hit off with him. But she goes into a tizzy when Rohan proposes to her. Rohan is exasperated as he can think of no reason why she cannot marry him. He is educated, well-heeled and most importantly the two of them have a great rapport. So he says that he at least deserves to know why she is rejecting him. Or as he puts it

"इतनी दोस्ती तो है हम मे कि तुम वजह बता सको"

To which Vibhavari says poignantly and pithily

"इतनी दोस्ती नहीं है रोहन कि वजह बता सकूं"

There are many times when friends importune you to tell them the reason for something, essentially because they are friends. A great line to use at all such junctures.

Koee bhee faislaa chunaav se honaa chaahiye dabaav se naheeN

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film: Sarkaar
Year of release : 2005
Spoken by : Rashid (Zakir Hussain)
Spoken to : An associate

Rashid is hatching a plan to kill Subhash Nagare (Amitabh Bachchan), along with Virendra Swami (Jeeva) and Vishram Bhagat (Raju Mavani). One of their associates is appalled at the idea and says so. He says he will have nothing to do with such a crazy plan. He starts walking out of the room. As he walks out, he catches the steely look in Rashid's eyes. He suddenly realises that he is about to be killed. He pleads with Rashid that he will keep his mouth shut and they could trust him completely. But he (and the audience), realise that his murder is almost fait accompli. Rashid walks up to him and plunges a dagger into his intestines. As he turns around the dagger, he very pithily adds,

"कोई भी फ़ैसला चुनाव से होना चाहिये दबाव से नहीं"

"koee bhee faislaa chunaav se honaa chaahiye dabaav se naheeN"

Daro mat, maiN aadmee naheeN hooN

इसे हिन्दी में पढने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करें

Film: Madhumati
Year of release: 1959
Spoken by : Charandas (Johny Walker)
Spoken to : Anand (Dilip Kumar)

This is a 3 hour long movie, but gripping all through the way. Almost 50 years old, but still so fresh. Great songs, great performances and a great film. Am reminded of the couplet by Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan

"अर्धशती की होकर के भी षोड्ष वर्षी मधुशाला". Just need to change "Madhushala" into "Madhumati".

This scene happens immediately after the "Suhana safar" song (what a song!). Anand Babu is finding his way to his destination. He is suddenly accosted by a probably sozzled Charandas - who is hanging upside down from a tree. By way of introduction, Charandas tells Anand

"डरो मत, मैं आदमी नही हूं"

"Daro mat, maiN aadmee naheeN hooN"

As I write this, I realise that the Naina Devi stampede killed more people than the serial bomb blasts in two cities. The difference being the guys behind the bomb blasts were terrorists and the guys behind the stampede were ordinary 'god-fearing' 'human' beings. But yet such an appalling tragedy took place.

What a great line! Hats off to your Mr Rajinder Singh Bedi!