Geet: Chalte Chalte
Film: Pakeezah [1972]
Actors: Meena Kumari, Kamal Kapoor
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Music: Ghulam Mohammed
Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi
Cinematography: Josef Wirsching
Director: Kamal Amrohi
Matrib pe saaz chhartaa hai, hawaaon ke seenay mein sarangi apni le ke khanjar se waar karti hai. Jaan-e-Mehfil udaas nazron se saazina ki taraf dekhti hai. Nartkiyaan kothe ki chhat ko sambhalay, sutoon ko apne raqs se sahara dainay aath khari hoti hain, aur tamasha-been haalat-e-dil ko aankhon se bayaan karta nazar aata hai.
Tablay ki thap angrai aur karwat ke haseen imtezaaj se jaagti hai, aur Jaan-e-Mehfil pukaar uthti hai:
“Chalte chalte, yunhi koi mil gaya tha
Sar-e-raah chalte chalte…”
Is se pehle ke tamasha-been kuch aur samjhe, Jaan-e-Mehfil haath ke ishare se inkaar keh uthti hai:
“Wahi tham ke reh gayi hai
Meri raat dhalte dhalte.”
Kehte hain sitar ki har taar mein hazaron khushiyan aur hazaron gham chhupe rehte hain. Inhi khushiyon aur ghamon ko saath liye, sitar Jaan-e-Mehfil ke saath ko haazir ho jata hai. Nartkiyaan azaa mein raqs ke misra se rooh phoonkti hain, Jaan-e-Mehfil ka kaha raqs mein dohrati hain.
Jaan-e-Mehfil yeh sunti hai aur hairan hai ke:
“Jo kahi gayi na mujhse”
Woh zamana keh raha hai…”
Qismat ki yaawari pe muskuraati hai aur kehti hai:
“Ke fasana ban gayi hai
Meri baat chalte chalte.”
Haalat-e-dil se majboor, Jaan-e-Mehfil khud mein magan malang khari ho jati hai.
Kamal, apne cinematographer Josef Wirsching se mukammal 72mm pe tasweer ka aks utaarte hue, dheere-dheere peechay sarkte aur phir baayen se hote hue ain markaz pe aa kar poori mehfil ko film band kar lete hain.
Ghulam Mohammed ke saazina se bansuri ki sada phootti hai, aur sitar Lata ki salaami ko haazir ho jata hai. Screen pe har taraf rang bikhray paray hain. Yeh saare rang Kamal Amrohi ke zehan ka parto hain, aur yeh tamaam rang fawaare se urtay pani ke saath jaise beh rahe hain.
Jaan-e-Mehfil light classical mein jhoomti “Chalte Chalte” ka wird kar rahi hai, aur sitar uska kaha dohra raha hai. Ik muqabla sa chhur gaya hai jaise.
Shab guzar ti ja rahi hai, sabr ka daaman haath se chhoot na jaye. Aakhir tang aa kar, Jaan-e-Mehfil aasmanon ki taraf dekhte hue Kaifi Azmi ke bol pooch hi leti hai:
“Shab-e-intizaar aakhir
Kabhi hogi mukhtasar bhi?
Yeh charaagh bujh rahe hain
Mere saath jalte jalte.”
Tamasha-been kisi aur duniya mein hai, aur us ke aqab mein charaagh-e-aakhir-e-shab pharphara rahe hain. Tamasha-been ki aankhon mein hairat aur Jaan-e-Mehfil ki nigahon mein udaasi camera ki aankh mehfooz kar rahi hai.
Charaagh bujh gaye, raat ka ikhtitaam hua, aur door kahin se rail ki seeti makhool hui.
“Charaagh ka kya hai, us ne to bujhna hi hai.
Sawal to baqi reh jaata hai ke: Kya thami hui raat bhi dhalii?
