Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil

Greetings, everyone!

When we think of ghost songs filled with a unique haunting element, the song "kahin deep jale kahin dil" will be one that will easily have hairs stand on ends! I can relate to the experience. When I was four years old, I used to bug my parents to read me a bedtime story, they said, "listen to this." It was a tape called "Suspense" which had Lataji's ghost or haunting songs from films. The first song used to scare me. "oooooooooooo....."

This song was composed by Hemant Kumar for the film Bees Saal Baad. The film was about a man searching his history of strange deaths. His grandfather (I think), raped a woman, and after she died, her soul continously haunted his family. The song "kahin deep jale kahin dil" has a few interesting facts.

Around the mid-1960s, Lataji had a voice problem that almost would have ruined her vocie forever. She took time off and did not sing for some time. Many anti-Lata music directors were happy of her absence. Hemant Kumar used her voice as a come-back to the playback industry. Hemantda like one of the rehearsal takes of the song, that he used it in the final.

Many people claim this song as a Sivaranjani raga song. People claim to place the Sa of the song on the word "ra" in zara dekh le aakar, the word "dil" would get komal ga. The trend of the song places way too much emphasis on komal ga that it looses its Sivaranjani feel.

If you listen to the tabla sur (the pitch of the tabla), you will see it is tuned to the word "dil." In tabla, you tune the dayan (high pitched drum) to the tonic (Sa) of the song. If you equate Sa to the word "dil," then you will see that the most haunting note appears when Lataji does the "ooo" part. The komal re in the tar saptak (upper octave) appears. The sruti (microtone) is slightly sharper than the typical komal re. This slightly sharpened komal re is a treat from the Marwa That raagas.

With a swar set of S G M D N S' and r used sparingly implies this raga is Sohini. You don't get the same effect with suddha ga going toward komal ga. In Lataji's 1988 concert in London, you can hear the musicians tune their instruments according the Sohini scale and not Sivaranjani scale.

Hence, this is a song in Raga Sohini.

Great analysis and great info. Thanks KBji.

Can you impart some info on this ghost song by Lata-Salilda -

Sathi re Sathi re
Tujh bin jiya udaas re
yeh kaisi unbujh pyas re
aaja aa aa aa

It's from the 1964 movie "Poonam Ki Raat"

thanks for the info ,in will help other... alot..

👏 👏 Thanks for analysing one of my all time favourites..

What do u have to say about Aapki Nazaron ne samjha ?

kaash mujhe bhi itna gyan hota.

Originally posted by: monet

kaash mujhe bhi itna gyan hota.

Yeah, me too.😕

BTW, Kishore ji, when did you start learning to play instruments? How old were you, and what did you start with? Are stringed instruments similar in nature, and are percussion instruments similar in nature (I mean Indian instruments...those that are obviously in the same family). Please tell.

yups i love tht song real haunting.

another of my fav is from mahal , i love tht my fav song.

aayega aayega aayega aane wala , deepak bagair kaise parwane jal rahe hain.---mahal

Originally posted by: kishore_bhakta

Greetings, everyone!

When we think of ghost songs filled with a unique haunting element, the song "kahin deep jale kahin dil" will be one that will easily have hairs stand on ends! I can relate to the experience. When I was four years old, I used to bug my parents to read me a bedtime story, they said, "listen to this." It was a tape called "Suspense" which had Lataji's ghost or haunting songs from films. The first song used to scare me. "oooooooooooo....."

This song was composed by Hemant Kumar for the film Bees Saal Baad. The film was about a man searching his history of strange deaths. His grandfather (I think), raped a woman, and after she died, her soul continously haunted his family. The song "kahin deep jale kahin dil" has a few interesting facts.

Around the mid-1960s, Lataji had a voice problem that almost would have ruined her vocie forever. She took time off and did not sing for some time. Many anti-Lata music directors were happy of her absence. Hemant Kumar used her voice as a come-back to the playback industry. Hemantda like one of the rehearsal takes of the song, that he used it in the final.

Many people claim this song as a Sivaranjani raga song. People claim to place the Sa of the song on the word "ra" in zara dekh le aakar, the word "dil" would get komal ga. The trend of the song places way too much emphasis on komal ga that it looses its Sivaranjani feel.

If you listen to the tabla sur (the pitch of the tabla), you will see it is tuned to the word "dil." In tabla, you tune the dayan (high pitched drum) to the tonic (Sa) of the song. If you equate Sa to the word "dil," then you will see that the most haunting note appears when Lataji does the "ooo" part. The komal re in the tar saptak (upper octave) appears. The sruti (microtone) is slightly sharper than the typical komal re. This slightly sharpened komal re is a treat from the Marwa That raagas.

With a swar set of S G M D N S' and r used sparingly implies this raga is Sohini. You don't get the same effect with suddha ga going toward komal ga. In Lataji's 1988 concert in London, you can hear the musicians tune their instruments according the Sohini scale and not Sivaranjani scale.

Hence, this is a song in Raga Sohini.

kishore_bhakta Da,

Great information with a wonderful analyses as far I remember Lataji was seriously ill and doctor said that it will be very tuff for her to return. That was her first recording after her illness fortunately the recording went well. Hemant Kumar was of a very quiet temperament person. " Interestingly Hemant Kumar recorded Lataji's voice during the rehearsal and okayed it as the final take, The song won her another Filmfare award

Originally posted by: adwarakanath

Same here😭

Me too.

Another ghost-song, again Lata-Hemantda that I love is -

Jhum jhum dhalti raat from KOHRAA.

Which raag is this song? I dont have much knowledge about raags. Just what I hear some experts like KB ji say.