The Songs of Optimism

When I published my last post on the 4th of August, I had no idea what the coming week was about to bring. And it brought days of immense mental strain, when my city was submerged in water. Due to heavy rainfall in the catchment area of nearby dam, 65% of my city and a couple of cities in the vicinity got badly affected by the floods.

No one had really thought of the severity of the flood, as a similar situation about 14 years back had not been too serious! The water pouring out of the river Krishna, and the back flow of the drainage water was literally flowing on the streets engulfing the areas as it went through. Some of the areas were badly affected, where about 8-10 feet water column was there for more than four days.
The whole of the old city along with the main merchandise establishments suffered heavy financial losses and severe mental trauma, they never even thought of! The main market of my city was under water, where all the major clothing stores, and goldsmiths, along with the vegetable market are.The water levels was more than 5 feet on the streets and inside a few shops as well!

The unexpected heavy rainfall in the catchment area of the dam and the blockade of the natural water channels by the humans were the factors responsible for the calamity. No doubt, lack of coordination between the inflow and the discharge of water in two dams across the river Krishna, was also responsible to an extent. But surely now we humans can understand how much damage we have done to our surroundings everywhere and learn to take more care.

There had been posts on social media about the floods that affected my city so far, and from that data, this is the sixth time since 1850. But as the affected area was much wider this year, this can be taken as the most severe. The small villages nearby the city, situated on the banks of river Krishna surely suffered a lot worse. The crops, all across the fertile land of the district were reduced to rotten vegetation. The farmers lost everything the crop, the cattle, and the home in majority of the places. I don’t want to think of the consequences, we will face in the next few weeks. There would be health issues, fear of water borne diseases, and on rare occasions, people did come across reptiles, including snakes as the water started receding and people began cleaning the areas.

I remember a Marathi song, written on the river Krishna, by G D Madgulkar.
‘संथ वाहते कृष्णा माई,
तीरावरल्या सुख दुःखाची जाणीव तिजला नाही’
(The river Krishna relentlessly flows, unaware of the happiness or the sorrows of the people on her banks)
I used to wonder why such lines were written! Perhaps the lyricist was aware of the previous flood situations that created havoc on the banks of the river Krishna.

Now, that the water has receded, people have started realizing the financial loss, and that will test their morals. I can’t even imagine their emotional trauma and loss.
I think we need to be optimistic ……..

And I’m posting the songs that will evoke optimism! As usual, the songs are in No particular order. Today, as I want to highlight the optimism that flows through the songs, I’ve purposely selected the audio versions and refrained from the videos. Though videos of some of the songs are available. This will help the listeners concentrate on the lyrics.

1. Raat Bhar Ka Mehmaan Andhera – Sone Ki Chidiya (1958) Asha Bhosle & Rafi / O P Nayyar – Sahir
The lyrics by Sahir are enough to ignite a spark into a disheartened soul. Each night comes to an end and brings a dawn! The fresh, inevitable morning follows! The darker the night, more brighter the morning! The Happiness is more appreciated after a sad event.

2. Woh Subah Kabhi To Aayegi – Phir Subah Hogi (1958) Mukesh & Asha Bhosle / Khayyam – Sahir
The context of the song in the film is different. But it mentions of a hope for a better and brighter future.

3. Kabhi To Milegi Kahin To Milegi – Aarti (1962) Lata Mangeshkar / Roshan – Majrooh
A song that even if speaking about the character in the film, has a universal appeal as well. The paths of sorrow are long, but if we are determined to reach our target, nothing will scare us!

4. Aaj Nahin To Kal – Mashal (1950) Lata Mangeshkar / S D Burman – Pradeep
Though the character is addressing her own mind, we can correlate with her feelings about being optimistic! Let there be dark clouds surrounding your target, be positive and confident.

5. Ek Din Yeh Aansoo Banenge Sitare – Heera Moti (1959) Lata Mangeshkar / Roshan – Shailendra
An optimistic song, full of hope for a better future. The God is testing her patience, she is going through bad times continuously. But she still keeps faith in him. She is ready to forget her past and painful experiences, and move forward with a new vigor. She is encouraging her pair of bulls, Heera & Moti to keep their faith. In fact, the story of this film revolves around this pair of bulls.

6. Kabhi Hai Gham, Kabhi Khushiyan – Waris (1954) Talat / Anil Biswas – Qamar Jalalabadi
The song is optimistic and it motivates the listener to understand life better. The sorrow and happiness are two sides of a coin.

7. Jago Mohan Pyare – Jagte Raho (1957) Lata Mangeshkar & Chorus / Salil Choudhari – Shailendra
If we listen carefully, the song is addressed to one’s heart. The mind should open up and listen to the beats of his own. Again, the context is completely different in the film. But it certainly inspires you for hope of a better future.

8. Laut Gaya Gham Ka Zamana – Naya Aadmi (1959) Lata Mangeshkar & Hemant Kumar / M S Vishwanathan & T K Ramamurthy- Rajendra Krishan
The song stimulates hopes of glory and happiness. The expressions of the singers are superb! The song may not be a popular one, but fits the theme perfectly.

9. Gham Ki Andheri Raat Mein – Sushila (1963) Rafi & Talat / C Arjun – Jaan Nisar Akhtar
I think, this is one of the most popular songs on the list. But I kept it in the end, as it talks about a personal loss in the verses. But the mukhada itself is so optimistic that I retained it.

10. Raaton Ke Saaye Ghane – Annadata (1972) Lata Mangeshkar / Salil Choudhari – Yogesh
Another song to boost up confidence and hope for a brighter future.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2FK7XtKglCk
Disclaimer –
Mehfil Mein Meri, claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, only for the convenience of music lovers. The copyright of these songs rests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.