Sweetest wish

.. Well I got that in the morning today, for the first time.

Chitra Ji

Well, I have posted a lot of JS on this blog, but may not have posted much about Chitra ji. So I decided to dedicate this one to her. I have posted a lot about her works in our PDJS wordpress blog though.

Chitra ji, is said to have brought in a whole new dimension to the life and personality of Jagjit Singh. Both came from totally different backgrounds. Chitra ji is said to have "polished" JS's outlook and image. Their first meeting was at the house of Chitra ji in Mumbai, where JS had come to record for an advertising jingle. And boy, did they have a fight! JS has a bass voice and Chitra ji has a high pitched voice. Neither was ready to compromise on their style of singing for the recording. Little did they know then, that in the future they would form the most popular duet pair, outside the film music industry, not only in studio records but also on live stage performances, revolutionising the mordern ghazal singing.

Below is a video from a very rare performance by them in the year 1979, at Vancouver Canada.

The ghazal "Meri Zubaan Se Meri Daastan..." by Chitra ji (offset 2:59) is said to have a story behind it. Sudha Malhotra recorded this ghazal eventually in her album which was composed by JS. But Chitra ji's short rendition above is classic by all means. Chitra ji never recorded this ghazal commercially later, but used to render it in 'mehfils'. Chitra ji had a fondness for this ghazal it seems. By the way the ghazal is by Sudarshan Fakir, the lyrics are below. The 'beher' of the ghazal is: mujtas musamman makhbuun mahzuuf Pattern: 1212-1122-1212-112 or mujtas musamman makhbuun mahzuuf maqtu Pattern: 1212-1122-1212-22 both of which can be used interchangeably as per the laws of Urdu prosody.

मेरी ज़ुबां से मेरी दास्तां सुनो तो सही,
यक़ीँ करो न करो महेरबां सुनो तो सही|

चलो ये मान लिया मुजरिम-ऐ-मोहब्बत हैं,
हमारे जुर्म का हमसे बयां सुनो तो सही|

बनोगे दोस्त मेरे तुम भी दुश्मनों एक दिन,
मेरी हयात की आह-ओ-फुगां सुनो तो सही|

लबों को सी के जो बैठे हैं बज़्म-ऐ-दुनिया में,
कभी तो उनकी भी खामोशियां सुनो तो सही|

कहोगे वक़्त को मुजरिम भरी बहारों में,
जला था कैसे मेरा आशियां सुनो तो सही|

Men or Women, humans are all the same

I have always held this view, from my childhood. Many a times in the debates hovering around the sort of topics, "women are better than men", men are potrayed as "bad" character guys. Examples are often set by citing politicians, law enforcers and positions to that effect, and the way they misuse them.

The only reasoning one can give, is that since the ratio of men in these positions are far more in number, such abuses of power are reported more from the men category. Women politicians (of the very few) also tend to be corrupt, inefficient and "rude".

Men are often quoted to be disrespectful towards women (and I do not deny that) but women have been equally known to pass on derogatetory statements about other women, when the going gets tough. Obviously, I am referring to statements made by Ms. Rita Bahugana against Ms. Mayawati. God knows what those "feminists" would have done, had a man made those statements! In fact no women organization of the country seems have condemed it so far!!

Human nature is all the same, be it a man's or woman's.

Change of reference frames

कर रहा था ग़म-ए -जहां का हिसाब,

आज तुम याद बेहिसाब आए.

-- Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz'

This rendition by Begum Akhtar is marvellous. Until a few months ago, when I used to listen to this 'sher' in her voice, I used to be in a state of desperate depression. But in the recent past, this sher has a completely different effect on me. I feel immersed in a soothing essence of a beautiful thought.

And the reason for this change? The change of reference frames. So relativity holds true not only in physics, but in one's life and mood too.

By the way, here is that epic rendition:

Travelling at speeds greater than light

Theoritically no mass can travel at speeds greater than the speed of light in vaccum. That is what the physics of today tell us. But just think of it for a moment, how boring it would be if this is true.

Man dreams of travelling to the great milky ways and galaxies thousands of light years away. If the above fact is true then man will never be able to make it there! In the history of mankind, no dream that it fosters remains long enough to remain a dream. I am sure Einstein's theories would be more 'generalised' in the times to come, so that inter-galactical transportation is just another matter of fact utility in future.

Why, do not thoughts travel greater than the speed of light? In my thought I could reach my destination even before I start my journey! I can also travel in time (at least in the past) in my thoughts. The problem is how to attach mass to it?