Happiness!

There is a lot of happiness in the air. If it were possible, I would see red and white confetti swirling and descending from the skies. I would see the sunlight skidding on the surface of lakes. I would see small huts made with glistening honey held upright with butterscotch forming a kaleidoscope during the day. I would see kids launching their paper boats in the river nearby with messages written on them. I would see a cottage with a balcony and green windows, and on the windows, I’d see light-green tendrils coiling themselves and nesting tiny white flowers. I would see a dark blue and grey sky pouring thick, twinkling drops of rain onto earth. This is the kind of happiness that is around me.

And this kind of happiness comes to me when I hear the songs of Barfi! Although, I have been extremely excited to watch the movie (It is a Ranbir Kapoor movie and I am a huge fan) I wasn’t as excited about the music. For me, the only thing in a Ranbir Kapoor movie that matters is his role and performance. But some lively music thrown in doesn’t hurt. I paid casual attention to the music as tracks were being released one by one, but my whole attention was hogged when a colleague at work gave me the complete album. Ever since I’ve heard the music, I can’t stop being happy every time I hear it. I have a perpetual smile on my face and I dance in my seat. Before I get into why, watch this and I dare you to not smile!

In this video, I utterly adore how he conveys to the officer that they are in love. (For those who don’t know, the actor plays a deaf and mute character in the movie.) When I saw this video, I couldn’t stop smiling.

Thereafter, I was told to hear another song that had just been released—Phir Le Aaya Dil. It has been sung by Rekha Bhardwaj and has the most remarkable lyrics. The song is about how the heart brings one to one’s knees like an innocent child would. At the insistence of small children, we often smile and relent—that’s what the song is about; where your heart is the small child. The lyrics go:

Phir le aaya dil
Majboor kya kije
Raas na aaya
Rehna door kya kije

And again my heart
has rendered me powerless
what do I do?
And again I haven’t
been able to stay
away from you
what do I do?

Anyone who has been following this blog would know how I yearn to have my own home one day. The song Aashiyaan reminds me of how I have always pictured it to be. Initially, I didn’t take much notice of it ‘cos it stars Priyanka Chopra, but when I heard it independently, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the lyrics. And yes, it has been sung so well!

Itthi si hansi
Itthi si khushi
Ittha sa tukda chand ka
Khwabon ke
Tinkon se
Chal banayein
Aashiyaan

A little smile
A dash of happiness
And a small piece of the moon
With strands of dreams of our own
let’s make ourselves
a home

I could quote the entire song, but I won’t. I’ll just slip in one of my favourite lines:

Pyar ke sikkon se
Mahine ka kharcha chale

With the coins of love
we’ll pay the month’s expenses

The characterization of an idealistic place is what takes the song and places it on the pole position. Only just when I think I’ve found the best song of the album, plays a soft, melodious ballad that might make me cry out of happiness one day. Saawali Si Raat—this is so beautifully sung that words fall short for me to praise Arijit Singh who sang it. Do listen to it. Where? Here.

The title track of Barfi! is very lively and as always Mohit Chauhan doesn’t disappoint. You could just fall in love with the song with tremendous ease when Mohit sings it. I find it difficult to ignore a song sung by Mohit.

I could go on and on about the music, but this is not a review. This post is just an expression of how the music makes me so happy. All in all the songs of Barfi! are like the little white and blue package with a white ribbon tied in a bow on it. It’s the slice of a clear blue sky that showers happiness!

🙂

Do catch the music. Or better still, wait for it to alight upon you like the yellow butterfly in a green field. That’s how happiness comes in—like butterflies when not pursued.

Related Articles:

• Watch the song ‘Kyon’ from Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Barfi’ (ibnlive.in.com)
• Anurag Basu: ‘I wouldn’t have made Barfi! without Ranbir Kapoor’ (digitalspy.co.uk)