Everything's a Memory....

It’s usually while driving that a certain thought clouds my mind. No, it’s not while driving in the city. Are you kiddin’ me? Think while driving in the city. I don’t think I’ve mastered that yet. I traveled to Dehradun a lot this year. I did a total of five road trips and three train rides. It was one of the trips that someone shoved in a MP3 disc that featured all the crazy Nadeem-Shravan songs from the early 1990’s to the mid 2000’s.

A friend of mine once mentioned that while traveling in the hills one gets to hear songs that we thought were dead. They would invariably be played on bad stereos. Before I knew it I was mouthing the cult lyrics. I shocked myself when I realized that I not only knew the lyrics but was happily playing a conductor swinging an invisible baton for a phantom orchestra. Aashiqui, Phool Aur Kaantein, Sadak, Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin, Saajan, Saathi and a hundred other songs bought back a flurry of memories. After struggling for years the dynamic duo burst on to the scene like no one before or after. They were so proficient that the term ‘music bank’ was a common phrase during the mid 1990’s. Nadeem and Shravan had conjured up a million tunes and stocked them according to situation. A director went in with five situations and came out with an entire soundtrack. Usually all the songs were then sung by Anuradha Paudwal as most film albums were on T-Series. Believe me that was printed on the cassette cover!

I got back to Delhi and subsequently went on another adventure. This time the same torture was subject upon my ear but kind courtesy an audio cassette in a Mahindra Jeep.

The second time around I realized that time has passed me by. I have made so many memories but suddenly it hit me that it’s been 18 years since that song from Aashiqui (Jaane Jigar Jaaneman...), which incidently is a rip-off a Bappi Lahri song from the ill -fated early 1990's Mumtaz comeback film called Aandhiyaan! A few days ago I was watching Karan-Arjun on the television and couldn’t help but e-mail a friend about how we went out on a school night to catch a late night show of the film. That was 13 years ago!

The difference between Aashiqui and Karan-Arjun might be just five years but everything changed during those years. In 1991 there was no SRK, no Akshay Kumar, no Ajay Devgan (well not really...Phool Aur Kaatein came out in November ’91), Mr. Bachchan was about to go on a five year sabbatical, Aamir Khan gave his first solo hit in years in the form of Dil, Sunny Deol got his first National Award fro Ghayal. And yes there was no Coca Cola in India, Pepsi was still Lehar-Pepsi (the choice of a new generation), there was no cable TV, no MP3’s, no Audio CD’s...and my brother hadn't started palying the guitar!

The real point of this lil history trip is the realization that dawned upon me as the opening strums of Maine Pyaar Tumhi Se Kiya Hai (Kumar Sanu, Phool Aur Kaantein) filled my ears- everything is connected to a memory.

Scary thought this…what’s life trying to tell me when everything brings back a memory…

As another years goes by here’s looking forward to many new memories….Happy New Year!