ey dost

Friend: a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

We’ve all had our share of friends. The good ones, the not so good ones, the ones whom you’d talk only about your loves, ones whom you run to for advice, ones whom you look for when you’re stuck, ones with whom easy banter comes, ones to whom you tell your darkest secrets, ones whom you can scream at and know that you will not be misunderstood, ones you can laugh easy with, ones you can cry to, and then the ones you take for granted. The world would indeed be a nightmare without someone to share and someone to hold your hand in need, and to clap hands in glee when you race a victory.

Unfortuntely, most good things come to an end in a span of time. They may kick start again or not, but many a time as adults we are forced to say goodbyes as friends.

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is before you can meet again. And meeting again after a moment or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends.”
– Richard Bach

Friendships, as with any relationship, go through rough and crazy times. I’ve had my share. As natural as it may seem, we turn to music, and our good old cinema to soothe the soul and envelop it in a nice warm blanket of music. Presenting a few songs that come to mind. There are many more apt ones out there, and ones that speak of depths of relationships. Please feel free to link.

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Movie: Do Raaste (1969)
Singer: Kishore Kumar

Mere naseeb mein, ey dost
Tera pyaar nahin

More popular for the Bindiya Chamkegi song, the movie is of course seeped in melodrama, tears, family values, differences in wealth and, sacrifices. I particularly like it when he says “ey dost”. Such tenderness. (This song does not come under the usual “friends” but I liked it anyway:)

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Movie Name: Dostana (1980)
Singer: Mohd Rafi

Mere dost kissa yeh kya ho gaya
Suna ha ke tu bewafaa ho gaya

Once good friends, drifting apart is but natural under circumstances.

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…and the ultimate song that continues to haunt us now for the lyrics, the voice and the character that RK plays. An obsessive, self-pitying, jealous bully. One who drains the friendship, laying pressure in ways that it ultimately, loses its innocence, beauty and purity.

Movie Name: Sangam (1964)
Singer: Mukesh

Dost dost na raha
Pyaar pyaar na raha
Zindagi hume tera aitbaar na raha

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Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Singer: Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik

Rabba mere,
ishq kisiko aisa na tadapaye
Dil ki baat rahe dil mein
Honton tak na aaye
na aaye
Tujhe yaad na meri aaye
Kisisey ab kya kehna
Dil roya ke aankh bhar aayi

Then there’s that friendship that remains hung in air.

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To end on a happy note, here’s a song from a recent telugu movie, with an apt title.
Movie: Happy Days

Paadametupotunna, Payanamendakayina
Adugu tadabatunna, Thodu raanaa
Chinni edabaatainaa, Kanta tadi pedtutunna
Gunde prati layalonaaa, nenu lenaa

Ontaraina, Ootamaina
Venta nadichee needa neede
O my friend
thadi kannulane, thudichina nestama
O my friend
vodi dudukulalo, nilichina snehama

I’ve never been part of such friendships. I didn’t study in huge colleges, neither was I allowed to have many friends, just one, and that was limited to only during school times. I also grew up in the times when the phone was a rare commodity to use since that was the only mode of communication if you did not share the same physical space. (Yes, am a dinosaur)

Yet, when I see this song, there’s a smile on my face and my eyes blur. Perhaps it’s a yearning to be part of something that I know now that I can never be and yet, I can associate with it. One of those rare feelings that you don’t need to experience it to understand it. It truly must be special right?
Tell me all about it. I want to hear. Hey, what can I say, I live my life vicariously. :-)