Kabhi Kabhie

This is strangely haunting.

The songs is from a 1976 Bollywood movie called Kabhi Kabhie. In the film, a poet, Amit, presents his first book of verse titled ‘Kabhi Kabhie’ to his beloved Pooja as a wedding gift after she tells him that her parents have decided to marry her off to an industrialist's son. Ironically, Amit turns out to be Pooja's husband-to-be's favourite poet and he recites this song to her on their wedding night, oblivious to the fact that its writer is the man who still holds his bride's heart.

This song is about unrequited love and I think you can hear that in the performances of Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh. The people you see in the video below are the actors from the film. In Bollywood, it's commmon for songs in films to be dubbed by what are known as 'playback singers'. Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh are two of Bollywood's most well known playback singers. I can't help but feel that subject of the song, unrequited love, is appropriate for these singers who's voices are allowed to sweep through India's cinemas and lounge rooms, but who's faces remain unseen.

Schmulz-ometer - 11/10
Haunt-ometer - 9/10

kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n khayaal aata hai	Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
ki jaise tujhko banaaya gaya hai mere li'e	that you've been made just for me.
tuu ab se pahale sitaaro.n me.n bas rahii thii kahii.n	Before this, you were dwelling somewhere in the stars;
tujhe zamiin pe bulaaya gaya hai mere li'e...	you were summoned to earth just for me...
kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n khayaal aata hai...	Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
ki yeh badan ye nigaahe.n merii amaanat hai.n...	that this body and these eyes are kept in trust for me...
ye gesuu'o.n kii ghanii chha.nv hai.n merii khaatir	that the dark shadows of your hair are for my sake alone,
ye ho.nTH aur ye baahe.n merii amaanat hai.n...	that these lips and these arms are charged to my care...
kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n khayaal aata hai	Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
ki jaise bajtii hai shahanaa'iyaa.n sii raaho.n me.n...	just as the shehnaii sounds on the roads...
suhaag raat hai ghuu.nghaT uTHaa rahaa huu.n mai.n...	that it is my wedding night, and I am lifting your veil...
simaT rahii hai tuu sharmaake merii baaho.n me.n...	You're shrinking for shame, blushing in my arms...
kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n khayaal aata hai	Sometimes the thought crosses my mind
ki jaise tuu mujhe chaahegii umra bhar yuu.n hii	that you'll love me like this our whole lives through,
uTHegii merii taraf pyaar kii nazar yuu.n hii	that you'll always lift a loving gaze to me like this.
mai.n jaanta huu.n ki tuu gair hai magar yuu.n hii	I know you're a stranger, but even so,
kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n khayaal aata hai...	sometimes the thought crosses my mind,