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Dwelling on the Details: Aa Paas Aa, Jee Le Zaraa...
{Episode 248}
February 1st, 2013: "Aa dil ke darwaazein hum kholein...Aa hum dono jee bhar ke ro lein..."
Song: Jee Le Zaraa
Singer: Vishal Dadlani
Film: Talaash (2013)
This episode of Punar Vivaah will always be remembered because of the Jee Le Zaraa sequence, I believe. This is arguably one of the most beautiful episodes in this show's history, with one of the most beautiful song picturizations I have ever seen. In some respects, it is a continuation of what began with the Do Pal sequence, but what is so lovely about the situational song sequence in this episode is that it is full of meaning as a scene in the context of the larger story as well. Every gesture is significant, and, with the exception of a few spoken words, all communication happens in silence. Kratika and Gurmeet are just beautiful in this sequence. They look exceptionally lovely, and their subtlety in expressions and silent communication only serves to enhance the powerful impact of the simplicity of the scene. Their complementarity is as captivating as ever.
But before I say more, let me move back a little bit...
"If I am not able to catch the kidnapper on the day of the wedding...Then, Aartiji...We will separate from each other forever..."
Yash is apprehensive about giving in to the kidnapper's demands - he and Aarti would move heaven and earth for their children without a moment's hesitation, but there is always a chance that things will not work out in their favor. There is always a chance that he might not succeed...
Aarti hears Yash's warning, but her faith in him is so strong that she immediately shakes her head in response, taking his hand in hers. "Nothing of the sort will happen, Yashji..." Yash looks at her, brows furrowed, as she reassures him, "I have complete faith in you." He can see from the way she averts her eyes that she is just as concerned as he is - perhaps far more anxious - about what might happen tomorrow...It is so difficult for him to see her like this. She is worried, yet still she reassures him. But then she looks up at him again, and he sees that there is a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. And that faith of hers, that trust, which she maintained even when he mistreated her, will be what gets him through this.
Night comes, but sleep evades Yash...He sits by the side of the pond, looking at the ornate red bridal dupatta in his hands. He shifts his gaze upward, ceasing to think about the dupatta and what it signifies, and instead fixes his eyes on the full moon that shines overhead. Aarti approaches him quietly; he hears her footsteps and perhaps even her bangles as she comes to a stop close to him, leaning against the pillar behind him. Her presence is what frees the thoughts that were locked deep inside him. He begins to voice those thoughts aloud, speaking to no one in particular, but he knows that she is listening. "I don't know whether I should ask for this night to end quickly, so that my son Ansh may come back to me...or whether I should pray that this night never ends, so that I may never be distanced from my love..." Similar to Aarti's dilemma of having to choose between being a devoted mother or a dutiful wife, Yash faces the dilemma of having to choose between being a father or a husband. His voice breaks as he contemplates wishing for the night to never end, so that he may never have to separate from the woman he loves...
As if Yash's words unleash her own thoughts, Aarti begins to speak, still looking up at the moon. "And I don't know whether this moon, which is so beautiful, is bringing us closer to one another...or if it is warning us...that time is passing by..." Is the moon mocking them with an illusion that all is calm and beautiful tonight? All certainly seems peaceful and still, but for them, time is slipping away. All too soon it will be morning, and the kidnapper's demand will have to be met. Every moment that passes takes them that much closer to the morning of that fateful day.
Main hoon gumsum, tu bhi khamosh hai...
Sach hai samay ka hi sab dosh hai...
Dhadkan dhadkan ek gham rehta hai...
Jaane kyun phir bhi dil kehta hai...
I am sad and silent, you are silent, too...
It is true that time is to blame...
In every heartbeat, there is sorrow...
Then I wonder why the heart still says...
Yash hears Aarti's anguished voice crack and fade into silence...Wordlessly, with his eyes still on the moon up above, he raises his hand, waiting for her. Slowly, Aarti places her hand within his, and as their fingers tighten their grip, as Yash gives her hand a squeeze to comfort her, she feels a sudden urge to cry again. Why did this have to happen? Just when it seemed like they were going to be okay, just when it seemed like their family was going to stay together for the rest of their lives, circumstances changed, and now time is running out...
Aarti moves to stand in front of Yash, walking forward; he doesn't let go of her hand, and when it seems like she is going a bit too far away from him, he applies pressure to her fingers, willing her to move no further.
- During the Do Pal sequence, Aarti was the one who took Yash's hand and prevented him from moving away from her. She was the one who stood up to be closer to him. Now, Yash is the one who restricts Aarti's movement by anchoring her to him, like a compass. He is the one who stands and moves closer to her...
- The camera shows us what Yash's eyes see...From his seated position, his eyes travel up, taking in Aarti's mangalsutra and the sindoor on her forehead, which she is still wearing in spite of the fact that they had signed the divorce papers earlier...No papers can sever the bond that developed between them after their lives were joined by the gath bandhan during their punar vivaah. But after tomorrow, will he see her like this? Suddenly, he knows what to do with the dupatta in his lap. He knows where it belongs...Where it was always meant to belong...
Jee le zaraa, jee le zaraa...
Kehta hai dil, jee le zaraa...
Ae humsafar, ae humnawaa...
Aa paas aa, jee le zaraa...
Live a little, live a little...
The heart says, live a little...
O my life's companion, o my love...
Come close, near me, and live a little...
Yash's eyes barely leave Aarti's face even as he releases the folded dupatta and brings his arms around her with deliberate, measured motions. He watches as Aarti's tear-filled eyes dart here and there, taking in the red fabric surrounding her. Lovingly, Yash drapes the bridal dupatta over Aarti's head...with a meaningful glance, he answers the question in her eyes. You are my wife, Aartiji...You are, and always will be, my chosen bride...
Hai zindagi maana dard bhari,
Phir bhi iss mein yeh raahat bhi hai...
Main hoon tera aur tu hai meri...
Yoon hi rahe hum, yeh chaahat bhi hai...
Phir dil ke dil se pul kyun toote hai?
Kyun hum jeene se itne roothe hai?
Life is full of pain, I agree,
But still, there is also this relief...
I am yours and you are mine...
This desire still remains - that we can stay like this forever...
Then why has the bridge between our hearts broken?
Why are we so angry with living, with life?
Yash lets his eyes roam over Aarti's features, reading the pain in her tear-filled eyes while he commits the image of her face to memory once more. Her mere presence soothes him, gives him relief and strength. She is trying to smile for him, he knows...There's no harm in helping her a little bit...
You and I...The two of us...His eyes remain on her face as she follows the movement of his fingers...Maybe we weren't meant to be together after all...No, I guess not...
He turns away calmly after giving her a pointed look, only to be stopped by her hands, preventing him from moving any further. She turns him to face her. No, Yashji...she shakes her head. You and I...We were meant to be together...Like this...Her lips press together in a tentative smile and he gazes at her fondly, tenderly.
- Cinematographically, the beginning of this stanza reminds me of Yash-Aarti's suhaag raat. There was a lot of focus on Gurmeet and Kratika's faces, especially their eyes, as Yash and Aarti looked at each other in the candlelight that night. The same thing happens here, and I love watching their expressions change. They're SO good at this, the silent conversations, the soft expressions, the interplay...[And they are extremely adorable during the silent conversation! Aww! Love these two so much!]
- Thematically, this also can be seen as a sort of suhaag raat, because Yash drapes the bridal dupatta over Aarti's head and claims her as his...There is so much beauty in their togetherness, in Yash's silent gestures and his declaration, in his gentle teasing, and in Aarti's conviction when she stops him and affirms that yes, she is his...That they are one...
Aa dil ke darwaazein hum kholein...
Aa hum dono jee bhar ke ro lein...
Come, let us open the gates of our hearts...
Come, let us cry to our heart's content...
Jee le zaraa, jee le zaraa...
Kehta hai dil, jee le zaraa...
Ae humsafar, ae humnawaa...
Aa paas aa, jee le zaraa...
Yash opens his arms to her then, allowing her to snuggle against his chest with her head on his shoulder. Her rightful place is here, against his chest...and in his heart...and he tells her as much through that gesture. Looking up at the moon again, Yash decides to tell her one more thing.
You see that moon, Aartiji...? That moon is not beautiful...No, not beautiful at all. But you, Aartiji...You are...So beautiful...More beautiful than the moon...
- Such a sweet little throwback to the things he said to her during Karwa Chauth! I remember being quite surprised back then...This was also a very pleasant surprise, even more so because Yash simply starts speaking to Aarti using signs without looking at her first, because he knows that she will be watching him once he starts moving.
He smiles softly to himself, but the smile fades as soon as he realizes that Aarti is pulling away from him. She is crying now, because he loves her so much, and she loves him just as much. How will they bring themselves to follow through with the next day's events? How?
Aarti presses herself against Yash, gripping him tightly, going up on her tiptoes to rest her chin on his shoulder as he bends and wraps his arms around her, holding her close.
Gham ke yeh baadal guzar jaane de...
Ab zindagi ko nikhar jaane de...
Chhod de ab yaadon ke dukh sehna...
Sunn bhi le jo dil ka hai kehna...
Let these clouds of sadness pass...
Now let life be clear, let things be better...
Let go now, stop enduring the sadness of memories...
Listen to what your heart is saying...
Tears trail down her cheeks as she cries, her body racking with sobs and labored breaths. He tries to soothe her, rubbing her back lightly. God, please just let this pass...Let these dark times pass, please...Yash closes his eyes and breathes deeply, sending up a prayer for himself and his loved ones. Pulling himself out of the embrace, he cups Aarti's face in his hands and lightly brushes her tears away.
- There is a certain point when Aarti shifts position a little bit, moving her face closer to Yash's neck...That was a lovely little nuance, very natural. At times, I also felt like they might have been rocking back and forth ever so slightly. Oh, and I absolutely love the way Yash and Aarti pull apart. To me, it looks like she is actually trembling when she separates from him. Awww!
- Kratika's crying always, always strikes me right in the heart. Every gasp or intake of breath as she sobs appears to be full of sorrow. And then we have Gurmeet's calm expression to balance that intensity, although something as simple as shutting the eyes and taking a deep breath conveys exactly what needs to be shown to demonstrate how Yash is feeling...
Jee le zaraa, jee le zaraa...
Kehta hai dil, jee le zaraa...
Ae humsafar, ae humnawaa...
Aa paas aa, jee le zaraa...
With his hands around hers, Yash sits down next to the pond again, requesting her to do the same. He helps her settle against him, and they sit there together, looking up at the moon until sleep finally comes...In their union, in their togetherness, they find peace - and together, they will live a lifetime in this moment and cherish it...
- I love the way this last part of the song is shot. It emanates peace and contentment, and I adore how Yash half-buries his cheek in Aarti's hair, occasionally letting his lips touch her hair as well. There is also the shot of the single tear that trails slowly down Aarti's cheek and along the contour of her nose...and another favorite moment of mine is the brief shot where a few strands of Aarti's hair are blowing across her face. That reminded me of the Kun Faya Kun sequence...Beautiful camerawork here as well. [Aside: It also reminded me of a scene from the film Ek Vivaah...Aisa Bhi. Similar pose, similar peaceful mood, similar closeness and simplicity...*sigh*]
- I don't know if this was a deliberate move to convey the passage of time, but there are three shots of Yash-Aarti by the pond. The more I watch the ending, the more it looks like a deliberate progression: the first one shows Aarti's hands resting on Yash's lap, in the second one she is holding his hand in one of her own, and in the final shot, she is holding his hand in between both of hers...I also really, really love how Aarti is holding Yash's hand so close to her face. The way she caresses it and presumably drifts off to sleep while looking at their joined hands is very sweet.
Parting thoughts: Love the choreography/picturization of this song so much! The timing is superb...All of the interactions go by quite quickly because the movements are timed in accordance with the lyrics and the music. Perfection.
One of the best - if not THE best - song sequences in this show, without a doubt. *sigh* PV team, I love you all. You are brilliant. Such a fantastic team. Thank you for this.
[EDIT Feb 5, '13: Since the Punar Vivaah team is celebrating the completion of its 250th episode tonight, that implies that the MS episodes aren't fully considered to be true PV episodes. And I can see why. Many of us felt that way, too. So...that calls for a correction to my episode numbering system...This post is actually about the 248th episode, then. Done. š]
Cricket
