The Results are in...

Well, I sent the challenge out to the four winds, and about 40 people, and man the harvest was meager! After much brain wracking and play list surfing, among all the great Hindi music buffs in my ken, only three people have come up with any possibilities. And that...not many. Here’s the list.

Hits came up with two.

Aap ki aankhon me kuchh

Humen tumse pyaar kitna

Papai suggested

Tumse accha kaun hai

Pal pal dil ke paas

Sam thought of

Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga

However, I think it would be wise to examine the numbers one at a time to see how far they match the criteria.

First off, there is “aap ki aankhon me kucch”. (Not a bad candidate. Gulzar, of course….probably the only true shayar left in Bollywood today.) Definitely a love song, and definitely not about his or her looks. On the contrary the shayar very clearly states “aap se bhi khubsoorat aap ke andaaz hain”. Andaz does not translate well, but could be rendered as personality/ mannerisms/ behaviour. So, clearly, something OTHER than looks is important here. It’s all the more obvious from lovely, super romantic phrases like “aapki khamoshiyan bhi aap ki awaaz hain”, “lab hilen to mogre ke phool khilte hain kahin”, and so on, that looks are the last thing on the poet’s mind.

So that’s a definite YES!

“Humen tumse pyaar kitna”. Not really a part of the category that I had in mind….but since it wasn’t possible to make myself clear, in detail, over the limited canvas of text messages. So, it’s a valid entry, and worth considering. Overall, it’s definitely not about looks at all, and except for “tumhe koi aur dekhe to jalta hai dil” there is not hiccup in the entire song. Although it is more about the intensity of feelings, rather than the person those feelings are for, it’ll do. As for the hiccup line, it smacks of unwarranted possessiveness, a sense of ownership, and jealousy. However, these are qualities most people seem to appreciate and expect in a lover, and Bollywood certainly makes a virtue of them, so I shall let it pass in spite of my personal dislike for them at any level and in any measure.

So, another YES!

“Tumse accha kaun hai”---- hmmm don’t know much about it except the first two lines. So I cannot comment… inputs anyone?

“Pal pal dil ke paas” is another of those songs about FEELINGS rather than about the PERSON. But yes, it is DEFINITELY not about looks at all. More about the feeling the beloved inspires in the lover, rather than her physical appearance, the song is a fine example of what poets were able to achieve a few decades ago that poets today have forgotten. Lovely song, lovely lyrics, beautiful filming.

A definite, RESOUNDING YES!

As for “Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga” – although Sam was the first to suggest it, many others have text-ed me about it, as an answer to my challenge. Lovely number, without a doubt, and on the surface at least it seems like it’s not about physical appearance. However, does closer examination bear this out? Although it has amazing imagery and beautiful lyrics, the first line is an indication of what it is about. When I saw her, she seemed like…. Although they can be interpreted as impressions of her personality/ purity/ whatever, one cannot deny that the entire flight of fancy is based on having seen the girl for something like 20 seconds. Hardly enough time to get BEYOND looks one would think.

In my opinion….that’s a NO