Monsoon Bidding
I had written the following post two years back (published on my older blog). The second paragraph is uncannily true again. The weathermen went beating their drums heralding monsoon arrival on 29th June. I guess all that noise scared the clouds away. The past two days have been unnervingly enervating and boiling hot. To add to woes the humidity is high which saps out any remaining energy. If that wasn’t enough, the news is full of excessive Mumbai rains - adding salt to burning wounds!
Anyways, you all enjoy this re-heated post:
Curling up on a comfortable chair, with a warm cup of tea, hot sumptuous pakoras with teekha chutney, watching the rains pitter-patter on the balcony, smelling the aroma of the fresh wet earth, feeling the cool light breeze tickle the skin, sensing the joyous dance of the stark dark greenery…monsoons bid me!
Alas, the monsoons are again late in Delhi; it has become an irritating trend with the Rain Gods to bypass Delhi every two years. I yearn for the therapeutic showers to cleanse away the curse of the summers; and when one hears of their delightful foray in other parts of the country, the heart yearns more.
No other season (apart from spring) has motivated authors, poets, lyricists and artists more. There is an irrepressible charm in the black clouds that envelope the sullen skies with their soft, moist embrace. Rains can depict sadness and joy; love and hate; consummation and separation; tranquility and anger, with an equal finesse.
Here I pick up a few of my favorite stuff from the rains:
Book: A Passage to India, by EM Forester. In this pre-independence India novel, the three main seasons of India are used to the most effective tool. The trauma and trouble of the lead characters are linked to the changing weather conditions. On a hot, innervating summer day Adela Quested makes a foul charge of being molested by Aziz. Trouble begins. The same gets sorted out, and smoothened, only when the skies open and give their blessings through the invigorating showers. The Janmashtmi festival is also beautifully woven in; it’s the time of the birth of the Lord, the washing away of sins, the cleansing of past wrong-doings; the rejuvenation of the earth, and the mind of Adela. It is indeed a beautiful allegory; a must read.
Films: So many films have used rains to heighten passion and anger. If I start to list out the scenes where the thunder is blasting away in the background, while the hero/heroine raves and rants, the list would be endless. One film, which I recall, that had the rains playing a mind-blowing role in the set up is Aitbaar. This Dimple-Raj Babbar murder mystery, plagiarized from Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder, uses the rains as a compelling device to heighten the suspense, ambience and feel.
Songs: Again, a list that can go on and on. However, here are my top 5 five favorite numbers: Rimjhim gire saawan (Manzil), Megha chhaye aadhi raat (Sharmilee), Jhooti mooti mitwa (Rudaali), Rim jhim rim jhim (1942-A Love Story) and Koi ladki hai jab wo hansti hai (Dil to Paagal Hai).
The funniest ‘rain’ song ever heard: Barsaat mein jab aayega saawan ka mahina (Maa)- can anyone make head or tail of this?
The sleaziest ‘rain’ song ever heard: Bheegi hun main barsaat mein (Karz Chukana Hai). It had lines that went itne chikne chikne ang yeh sunehre, paani ki boond padhe paani nahi thehre…quite slippery, indeed!
Enjoyed the post? Subscribe to Random Expression's RSS Feed
In case you find this site entertaining and useful please contribute your own bit by making a nominal donation.
A fresh way to contact me - New Contact Form added to the site. We love to hear from you, keep writing in!
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:00 pm
First Again !!
July 3rd, 2006 at 11:02 pm
ur post reminds me of These Are A Few Of My Fav Things…
July 4th, 2006 at 3:59 am
We are still waiting for the rain here as well.. its crazyy n unbearably hot! :/ ill come read later.. a li’l too late right now, i need to sleep!
July 4th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
“Barsaat mein jab aayega saawan ka mahina (Maa)” arey they must be referring to Sawan Kumar Tak, maybe one month is reserved fo rhim in the Barsaat.
July 4th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
hi sirji, i long for the sun here in Mumbai. its been raining incessantly for the last three days and i am getting tired of it. did have a few beautiful moments in the beginning but now with having to go to office in the kicchhad, the rains aren’t looking that attractive. longing for the sun again.
but i hope you guys have rain soon, please take it away from us. btw the laptop’s back and I am going to read your email in peace with the rains tapering outside, mom-in-law cooking for me and pop-in-law trying to fix up the leak in he window. (yup they are here helping me set up the new house) they came just as my parents left. for a couple of days both sets of parents were in the same house, can easily write a post on what went on when two completely different women came under one roof. fat stuff for a story.
July 4th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
I do remember that post had gone through it. As for the songs…some of my favorites there. It is so darn hot that it seems we are being roasted can understand the plight of the chicken thats on the grill.:P
The songs list some of my favorites but then no comments about the last 2 songs!!!
The start of the second para was soo nice…made me wish that it was raining right now!
July 5th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Mehak - Gold aapka
Yeah, that used to come in Stardust - ages since i read that magazine. Waise, how’s Chennai ka weather?
Reema - I guess that’s the case with the entire northern part of the subcontinent. Hope you hv been able to read the post by now.
Bhagya - LOL
Priyangini - Humein baarish udhaar de do! Today also went by ekdum sookha sookha
So the two samdhans were together? Toh der kis baat kee? Ho jaaye ek garma garam post ! Blog world ke hisaab se dekha jaaye, its time for you to make a comeback now.
Anz - He he , u shud listen to the last one at least
Yeah yeah i know how boiling hot it is !
July 5th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
bass kya.. rain song in hindi movies deserve a bloody big post re.. just two songs mein kaam nipta diya, bandhu..??
July 6th, 2006 at 7:59 am
Chennai has 3 weathers…Hot Hotter Hottest….
Bhai Sa’ab……bahut garmi hai idhar….hot+humid
Ab bangalore ke bahut yaad aate hai
Arre NDTV vale toh pagal ho gaye hai Dilli ke powercuts ko cover kar kar ke…
July 6th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
It’s raining almost everyday…. Why don’t you sing the song Megha re Megah mat pardesh too jaa re…..
whenever I remember the “rain” song the first come in my mis is “ek ladaki bheegi bhagee si, sote raaton me jaagi si….”
. The 5 songs you listed are nice one but I like more.. gila gila pani…. , rimjhim ke geet sawan gaye hae…. and many more…
I think you are missing Kool “Cat-Man-Do” a lot…
So now come and read something about “Can-Man-Do”
July 7th, 2006 at 12:03 am
No thanks….u recommending one of the sleazy ones is well scary
July 7th, 2006 at 2:31 am
finally did - internet gone cuckoo! :/
“Rains can depict sadness and joy; love and hate; consummation and separation; tranquility and anger, with an equal finesse.”
July 7th, 2006 at 11:35 am
kaho to thodi si barsaat yahan se bhej den uss taraf?
July 8th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Me…- LOL, yeah true, but sirrf do gaano mein nahi. I did list some other fav songs also.
Mehak - Yeah the power situation is pretty bad these days. LOL@Chennai weather description.
SM - Yaar, woh gaana tab gaaoon jab pahle barsaat yahan aaye toh sahi…. usske baad hi pardes jaane se rok sakta hoon.
Will be at ur blog soon.
Anz - He he he he
Reema - thanks
Anks - Neki aur pooch pooch…bhejo jaldi se… Yahan, just now it rained for exactly 5 minutes, and now dhoop is out full fledged again.
July 8th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Sirji..we saw Krrish on fri day…Hrithik toh bahut sahi lag raha hai…
Songs are lousy …slow..boring …watever…
July 9th, 2006 at 9:53 pm
Mehak - Dekha, maine kaha tha na ke he is superb in the film
July 31st, 2006 at 6:16 am
webmaster,your blog is google ! I like it very much! I’m agreeable to your point of view! I hope to make feiends with you ! please remember me .my name is 机票 of chinese. I come from hongkong.
July 31st, 2006 at 9:16 am
Joan Many thanks for liking my blog. Pls. do keep coming in