Dil to Pagal Hai

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(Pyar Kar ) -- Pyar Kar is the fifth song of the album, again sung by Mangeshkar & Narayan. It opens with a slow alaap, a hummed phrase from Rahul provoked by the moon, whilst at a Valentine’s dance with Nisha. The pitches are responded by Pooja, whom is looking at the moon from her luxurious room and white linens. This sets the mode and mood of the thematic raag. The symbol of the moon is representative of celestial forces of fate at work on the two, who have yet to have formally met. At present, Pooja represents the avatar of Maya for Rahul, and Rahul is the weird guy who returned a birthday cake to her uncle.

The moon said something, the night heard something

You listen also, oh unknowing one

Fall in love, oh fall in love

The tempo quickly picks with string phrases and tabla rhythm – single strike on two beat, double strike on the four. Rahul, who has already played a different instrument in every song so far, takes on a brief instrumental break with a saxophone solo that would make John Coltrane tip his hat. While Rahul outwardly mocks the notion of love in front of Nisha and his crew, he is still swayed by the gravity of the moon. The first verse, which is sung by Rahul, is responded by Pooja, again from her luxurious white linens. Pooja, in her mid-30’s lives an infantile existence sheltered by her Aunt and Uncle and is the epitome of innocence. She sings of her loyalty to a love, which is yet to exist and uses gamak in her vocal phrases. The musical interlude features a quick up-tick in tempo – the pick-up denoted by ascending arpeggiated flute runs and a dream sequence. Female voices and male voices each respectively unison make a counter-melody as a man on a white-horse rides through the field scene and takes a linen from what I can’t tell is Pooja, or her mother. Chopra uses the music to reflect the imagery of the dream sequence spectacularly.

(Koi Ladki Hai) – Koi Ladki Hai is a song that uses storms and weather imagery to denote the rising tensions and inevitable conflict that is arising due to the love triangle forming between Pooja, Rahul & Nisha.

I know a girl, when she laughs it rains

I know a boy, when he sings it rains

The scene begins with the dancers rushing home to beat the declining weather. Rahul and Pooja are caught in the rain and come across a foster home. The kids inside, in ragged clothes are setting up the music with what could be called beat boxing – boom-boom chat, boom-boom chat. There is a repeated vocal hook that sets the tone of imminent trouble. Very western influenced, with a Hip-hop infused beat and heavy snare on the two and four. Traditional Hindustani folk music is incorporated with a brief traditional string refrain (violin) although Rahul plays a simpler looking folk instrument on camera. There is a cinematic segues in which Nisha is figuratively kidnapped from her hospital room and brought outside to the rain to see Rahul & Pooja and a dance-off ensues connoting conflict. During the interlude, as Nisha is being taken blindfolded from her room, a repetitive, rhythmic flute riff accompanies a rapid ascending & descending string arpeggio that leads into the climactic dance-off. The remainder of the song features a more complete musical and vocal accompaniment to the mukhada. There are slightly more elaborate short string refrains after the anthara, which are sung by all now. The song eventually decrescendos out as the actors leave the metaphorical dream-sequence.

Works Cited: Chopra, Y. ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ India (1997)