Bollywood has never had a dearth of romantic songs that manage to leave us a little in love, even if we have no one to dedicate them to.
In the midst of the numerous such romantic ballads created by Bollywood, Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya from the movie Sarfarosh remains a classic that never fails to evoke long-buried emotions in a listener.
The first thing about the song that strikes you is Jagjit Singh’s melodious voice, set to Jatin-Lalit’s soothing composition.
When Jagjit Singh sang of love leaving you senseless, you could sense the emotion behind the words. And what wonderful words!
Lyricist Nida Fazli deserves a special mention for talking about love in a way that soothes your soul and yet leaves you hurting over a love-not-professed. It’s almost as if you were the subject of the composition, all along.
Hum labon se keh na paaye, unse haal-e-dil kabhiAur woh samjhe nahi, yeh khamoshi kya cheez hai
The comparisons he drew in the song are a masterclass in how, one can talk about beauty and romance, with poetry and class, devoid of cheesy lines or obscene references.
But these are things I discovered over the years, as my love for the song and its composition grew. To date, my earliest and consequently, the fondest memories of the song is its picturisation.
Ajay (Aamir Khan) and Seema (Sonali Bendre) are friends from college, who accidentally meet again after years, at a concert of revered ghazal singer Gulfam Hassan (Naseeruddin Shah).
As the song begins, the two glance at each other, and soon the flashback takes us through their love story – one that ended before it could even begin.
It reminds you of that long-lost, never-forgotten school crush whose smile still remains lodged in your memories, and whose name still finds its way in doodles on the last page of your diary.
Of course, Sonali and Aamir do complete justice to their role of college students discovering love, who’s language of love is more about hidden glances and innocent pranks than actual proclamations of love. And yet, it fits perfectly with the somber tone of the song
Perhaps because it talks of those love stories that find their forever not in companionship, but in memories, to be remembered with fondness and kept close to heart.
This is why the romance that Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya brings alive with its soothing melody and heartfelt lyrics makes us fall in love anew, each time we hear it.
All images are screenshots from the video: