Kasme vaade pyar wafa sab

Our elections are now over after a most toxic campaign. When the two formations were not abusing each other they were competing in promising the electorate moon. Voters seem to have now become smart. They must have realised that most of the promises would not be, cannot be fulfilled. There is no free lunch; if someone offers something free, something else has to give way. But one of the two principal rivals came up with a nice tagline: “My guarantee also means a guarantee that the guarantee would be fulfilled.” That is a good one, something like “Raj Raj Raj & Company”. In Shree 420 the dreams of the people were fulfilled, in the real world the voters have to wait for the bounties promised to them.

Now a new-old government is in the saddle, and we are seeing a different kind of kasme-vaade in play. Promises made to the voters are put on the backburner. It is time for the coalition partners to extract the kasme vaade made to them with some arm-twisting.

The kasme vaade in our films are centred around pyar and wafa. In the days of good, old Bollywood love and trust meant gallivanting around bushes and flowers. Social mores have now changed. Now there are various degrees of relationship from ‘just friends’ to ‘situational relationship’ to ‘seeing each other’ to ‘dating’ to ‘committed’ to ‘live-in’. This has given rise to new challenges and new jurisprudence whether refusing to marry is ‘rape’ or ‘breach of trust’. In the olden days it was simple, the victim of betrayal sang: Wafa jinse ki bewafa ho gaye/ Wo vaade mohabbat ke kya ho gaye.

Kasme vaade pyar wafa is ubiquitous and we have zillion songs on this. Let us savour some.

1. Kasme vaade pyar wafa sab baatein hain baton ka kya by Manna Dey from Upkar (1967), lyrics Indivar, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Pran started as a lead actor, then switched on to negative characters and soon established himself as one of the most loved meanest characters on the screen. Upkar was a makeover film for him and kudos to Manoj Kumar for presenting him in a unique positive role. Pran’s character Baba Malang in the film was a detached elderly villager of sane voice. This started his second innings of a chameleon who could alternate between good and a bad guy and more layered shades with ease. Manna Dey is befitting in this philosophical song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKR-BubJWNk&list=RDuKR-BubJWNk&start_radio=1

2. Kasme vaade nibhayenge hum by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Kamse Vaade (1978), lyrics , music RD Burman

This could be equivalent to “My guarantee means a guarantee that the guarantee would be fulfilled”.

3. Ye vaada karein jahan bhi rahein tum hamare raho hum tumhare rahein by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), lyrics KL Pardesi, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Dharmendra’s debut movie in a lead role sank without trace, but it had some great songs by Mukesh composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. In this cheerful duet Dharmendra and Kumkum are gallivanting with joy.

4. Ye vaada karo chaand ke saamne bhula to na doge tum is par ko by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Raajhath (1956), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Shankar-Jaikishan

If you promise something in the presence of a celestial body like the moon, it carries more weight.

5. Wafa jinse ki bewafa ho gaye wo vaade mohabbat ke kya ho gaye by Mukesh from Pyar Ka Sagar (1961), lyrics Prem Dhawan, music Ravi

The betrayal of trust causes a great despondency. The song starts with a slow recital: Ho gaye do roz mein barbaad bhi, aabad bhi/ Ab tamanna hai yahi aaye na unki yaad bhi. After the betrayal our hero laments:

Jo kahte the hum to sada hain tumhare
Zamane mein sabse jinhein hum the pyare
Wo hi aaj humse juda ho gaye

We can be sure of one thing – the man was not a politician. Aaya Ram gaya Ram; Paltoo Ram are quite common characters in that arena.

6. Ansoo bhari hain ye jeevan ki raahein, koi unse kah de humein bhool jaayein by Mukesh from Parvarish (1958), lyrics Hasrat Jaipuri, music Dattaram

Many are able to move over, but some are too sensitive. Their despondency knows no depths.

Vaade bhula dein kasam tod dein wo
Haalat pe apni humein chhod dein wo
Unhein ghar mubarak humein apni aahein
Koi unse kah de humein bhool jaayein

7. Ye na thi hamari kismet ki visaal-e-yaar hota by Suraiya from Mirza Ghalib (1954), lyrics Ghalib, music Ghulam Mohammad

One of the couplets of Ghalib in this ghazal was:

Tere vaade par jiye hum to ye jaan jhooth jana
Ki khushi se mar na jaate agar aitbaar hota

Your promise made me live, let that not deceive
Happily my life I would give, if I could but believe
(English translation taken from Rekhta.org)

In the current elections, too, voters have conveyed this message of what they think of the politicians’ promises and many parties must have been chastened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hw6tKjEk_8

8. Jo vaada kiya wo nibhana padega by Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar from Taj Mahal (1963), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Roshan

Roshan was the man for Muslim socials and films based on Mughal princes. One of his most remembered songs is stern on promises. Come what may – Roke zamana chaahe roke khudaayi tumko aana padega, Jo vaada kiya wo nibhana padega.

9. Khai hai re humne kasam sang rahne ki by Lata Mangeshkar from Talash (1969), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music SD Burman

Folk instruments in interludes create magic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qpO5Og3rJc

10. Tum agar saath dene ka vaada karo main yun hi mast naghme lutata rahun by Mahendra Kapoor from Humraaz (1967), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Ravi

Sunil Dutt finds his muse in Vimi, but she seems burdened by something. He is quite expressive in his love – If you only promise to be with me, I would offer all my songs to you. But the beautiful dumb doll does not show any emotions. I do not remember if Vimi came in another movie. An extremely melodious song, one of the best by Mahendra Kapoor.

11. Hey maine kasam li by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar from Tere Mere Sapne (1971), lyrics Niraj, music SD Burman

A tender movie with great songs, but it was commercially not a very successful film. Mumtaz by now had transformed from a B grade regular or a vamp to a superstar. This film showed her as a superb sensitive actress helped by some delectable by in the film. Both Dev Anand and Mumtaz assert their promise to each other that they would never separate.

12. Tumhein dil se chaha, tumhein dil diya hai, ye vaada karo ki bhula to na doge by Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur from Chaand Aur Suraj (1965), lyrics Shailendra, music Salil Chowdhury

I am happy that what started on a cynical note in the wake of General Elections is ending on a positive note with a series of nice songs based on promises between the lead actors. When the going is good, when the lovers are in courtship phase and happy in sylvan surroundings, they trust each other’s promises and, therefore, there is joy in asking the other person for promise that he/she would not forget. Salil Chowdhury has composed only a handful songs for Rafi. Among these is this gem, my great favourite. I am very happy to end this post with Tumhein dil se chaha, tumhein dil diya hai, ye vaada karo ki bhula to na doge.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The song links have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This blog has no commercial interest. It claims no copyright on the songs which vests with the respective copyright owners.