Sar jo tera chakraaye yaa dil doobaa jaaye
Posted on: October 27, 2009
“Pyaasa” was a movie full of serious “dard bhare” songs and all of them went on to become iconic songs.
But this movie had a light hearted song as well. And what happened to this light hearted song ? This too went on to become an iconic song.
This song is sung by Rafi and it is picturised on Johny Walker. Yes, it is the much loved song “sar jo tera chakraaye yaa dil dooba jaaye”. This song can bring a smile on the faces of the listeners even today, more than half a century after this song was created.
In the serious songs of this movie, Sahir Ludhianvi displayed his ability to express the complex emotions of human beings, that too in chaste Urdu as well as in chaste Hindi. In this light hearted song, Sahir Ludhianvi shows his ability to come up with a funny song using words spoken in day to day life by common folks. What a gifted lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi was ! We need to take our hats off to him.
Similarly, S D Burman, who composed music for songs expressing pathos, devotion etc, comes up with a lovely tune for this light hearted song.
It is suggested that the tune of this song was actually created by R D Burman, the son of S D Burman who was then in his teens and was the assistant of his father. And I am inclined to believe this. Many of S D Burman’s tunes, including that of the blockbuster “Aradhana” many yeras later were actually composed by R D Burman.
So here is this lovely light hearted song from “Pyaasa” (1957).
Song-Sar jo tera chakraaye yaa dil doobaa jaaye (Pyaasa) (1957) Singer-Rafi, Lyrics-Sahir Ludhianvi, MD-S D Burman
Lyrics
maalish
tel maalish
champi
sar jo teraa chakaraaye, yaa dil doobaa jaaye
aajaa pyaare paas hamaare, kaahe ghabraay, kaahe ghabraay
maalesh
tel maalish
sar jo teraa chakaraaye, yaa dil doobaa jaaye
aajaa pyaare paas hamaare, kaahe ghabraay, kaahe ghabraay
tel meraa hai muski, ganj rahe na khuski
jis ke sar par haath phiraa doon, chamke kismat uski
tel meraa hai muski, ganj rahe na khuski
jis ke sar par haath phiraa doon, chamke kismat uski
sun sun sun, are betaa sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
sun sun sun, are betaa sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
laakh dukhon ki ek dawaa hai, kyun naa aazmaaye
kahe ghabraaye, kahe ghabraaye
sar jo teraa chakaraaye, yaa dil doobaa jaaye
aajaa pyaare paas hamaare, kaahe ghabraay, kaahe ghabraay
pyaar kaa howe jhagdaa, yaa business kaa ho ragdaa
sab lafdon kaa bojh hate jab pade haath ik tagdaa
pyaar kaa howe jhagdaa, yaa business kaa ho ragdaa
sab lafdon kaa bojh hate jab pade haath ik tagdaa
sun sun sun, are baabu sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
sun sun sun, are baabu sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
laakh dukhon ki ek dawaa hai, kyun naa aazmaaye
kahe ghabaraaye, kahe ghabraaye
sar jo teraa chakaraaye, yaa dil doobaa jaaye
aajaa pyaare paas hamaare, kaahe ghabraay, kaahe ghabraay
naukar ho yaa maalik, leadar ho yaa public
apne aage sabhi jhuken hain, kyaa raajaa kyaa sainik
naukar ho yaa maalik, leadar ho yaa public
apne aage sabhi jhuken hain, kyaa raajaa kyaa sainik
sun sun sun, are rajaa sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
sun sun sun, are rajaa sun, is champi mein bade bade gun
laakh dukhon ki ek dawaa hai, kyun naa aazmaaye
kahe ghabaraaye, kahe ghabraaye
sar jo teraa chakaraaye, yaa dil doobaa jaaye
aajaa pyaare paas hamaare, kaahe ghabraay
2 Responses to "Sar jo tera chakraaye yaa dil doobaa jaaye"
October 16, 2018 at 11:51 am
Atul ji,
Surhid Kar was the Assistant Music director to S D Burman in this film. R D Burman’s name did not figure in credit title of the film.
I know that it has been mentioned in many articles and a couple of books on S D Burman that R D Burman created this tune.
But Abrar Alvi, who was the story, screen-play and dialogue writer for Guru Dutt and also his man Friday for a decade (1954-1964) has a different story to tell about this song. I quote:
“Guru Dutt had picked up a bunch of 78 RPM records of English songs during his visit to England. There was one tune he liked and he decided to graft it on (this song). It was from the film ‘Harry Black and Tiger (1958) which Guru Dutt did not know that it would be released later in India. S D Burman was instructed to copy this tune note by note. Of course, Dada Burman was very upset. He came to me and said ‘what is this Guru is asking me, , public mujhe maarega. ….
But Guru Dutt was adamant – the tune would have to be copied hundred per cent in the mukhda at least. Burman Dada had to content with that.
However, music director waved the baton effectively enough to blend the tune with his own melody in such a manner that no one noticed the surgery. In fact, the producer of ‘Harry Black and Tiger’ (1958) had visited India. He heard this song and not only he failed to recognise the tune, but commended Burman Dada on it.”
[Source: TEN YEARS WITH GURU DUTT – Abrar Alvi’s Journey by Sathya Saran (2008).
By the way, Sebastian D’Souza, who arranged music mainly for S-J, OPN and Salil Choudhar,i had done music arrangements for S D Burman for some films during the second half of 1950s. This was revealed, in an interview by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, who played Santoor for S D Burman from 1961-75. Even Antony Gonsalves had played violin in some of the songs of ‘Pyaasa’ (1957). In this song, I get the feel of the contributions of Goan musicians.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
October 29, 2009 at 12:29 am
This is one of my all time favorite songs and I do want to share one of my childhood memories here – my uncle was bald but he would submit to being maalished on his bald pate to the accompaniment of this song by his daughter and niece! Now I wonder what he was feeling! It was much, much later, in fact, only after I came to this country and started collecting old cassettes that I knew this song was from Pyaasa.
Thanks for bringing back a childhood favorite and some great memories!
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