#459

        Song:    ae ishq ye sab duniya waale
                 bekaar ki baatein karte hain
                 paayal ke ghamon kaa ilm nahiin
                 jhankaar ki baatein karte hain

        Film:    Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
        Singer:  Lata Mangeshkar
        Music:   Naushad
        Lyrics:  Shakeel Badayuni
        *ing:    Madhubala, Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar

There is a ghazal by Shakeel Badayuni, some ashaar of which go:

     ye aish-o-tarab ke matwaale
     bekaar kii baate.n karte hai.n
     paayal ke ghamo.n kaa ilm nahii.n
     jhankaar kii baate.n karte hai.n

     naahak hai havas ke ba.ndo.n ko
     nazaara-e-fitarat kaa daavaa
     aa.nkho.n me.n nahii.n hai betaabi
     deedar ki baatein karte hain

As can be seen, this ghazal has been artfully re-shaped by Shakeel into
a beautiful Lata melody from this legendary soundtrack. Actress Sheila
Dalaya, who plays Madhubala's sister in MeA, gets her three minutes of
glory in this song, as she playfully mocks Durjan (Ajit) and the
smitten Saleem:

     ulfat ke naye deewaanon ko
     kis tarah se koi samjhaaye
     nazaron pe lagii hai paabandi
     deedar ki baatein karte hain

Naushad has cast this ghazal in a simplistic yet enchanting tune... a
plain, symmetric mukhadaa, all three antaraas composed with different
tunes and seamlessly dovetailed back into the main theme. Lata's
haunting humming at the end of each of the antaraas is a masterful
touch. And the opulent visual setting, in Saleem's mahal, replete with
fountains, streams, doves, etc. all sum up to a rather memorable
musical experience.

Never mind the hyped tracks - this is one of the best songs in the
movie.