Ragamalika of Jodha Akbar

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Part I- The preamble : A brief introduction before the take 5

This is not about the ME, the last week, this is a thread to celebrate the journey of Jodha Akbar.

As you know, music, movies, and Jodha Akbar are three things I am extremely passionate about ... And today I am making a special post bringing those three interests together.

Hopefully, this attempt at bridging music with Jodha Akbar is not as complicated as my last one ... On the music of emotions. 😆

First, a few disclaimers ... Please read Part III below for an Om Puri style disclaimer. Did not want to distract you here, in case you were in the mood to fast forward ... As we do when we watch the serial. But basically, I am not an expert ... But I love talking about this stuff. And I am taking a more Hindustani classical approach, only because of the era and times we are referring to.

In Indian classical music, each raga has guiding principles on how notes are organized, time of day performed, and types of composition. And coming from that each raga has a mood. In many cases, ragas were personified in Ragamala Paintings, many during the Mughal era.

And that is the beauty of Indian classical music, that the mood of the raga itself invokes an emotion beyond the words and structure of the song.

For more about raagas, please read Part IV below. And if you have any questions, just PM me.

And hence, here is a take of applying various ragas to Jodha Akbar ... Both the characters and specific shades of love.

Raagas as a reflection of people: Jalal/Akbar and Jodha reflected in Rag Bhairav and his consort, Raagini Bhairav

In the Ragamala Painting tradition, Raag Bhairav is represented to be Lord Shiva (as the name suggest) and Ragini Bhairavi is his wofe (represented by Durga). And, as I double clicked more into the raagas, the traits of the ragas did seem apt to reflect our lead pair.

Bhairav: Rag Bhairav is where it all starts ... At least when you are learning musi. It is considered the foundational raga and if you are Carnatic trained who doesn't remember all the exercises we had to sing in the equivalent Mayamoulavagowla. 😆

The attributes of the Rag Bhairav include masculinity, valor, peace, austere, devotion, and a strong, peaceful mind. I think that reflects the mood of our male lead Jalal well, does it not?

Typically, it is sung in the early morning hours. We tend to see the raag in devotional songs ... And more rarely in movie songs, though a moving rendition is "Jaago Mohan Pyaare" (Translation: Wake up oh dear Mohan) from the movie Jaagte Raho (Keep Rising). There are many times we can sing that to Jalal throughput the show.

But jokes apart, Bhairav is supposed to capture that strong, peaceful mind with the first rays of sunshine falling upon him. I felt this is very reflective of how we have seen the Akbar within Jalal rising as the Sunshine of destiny shines upon him ... As Raag Bhairav rises with the sun with beautiful serenity.

Bhairavi: The rag (also referred to as a raagini form given its female personification) is named after the form of Shakti and the consort of Shiva. That itself is the first similarity with our Jodha Begum ... We just need to remember the Ben track and the arrow attack to envision her in her Durga avataar.

And the similarity continues ... As the raaga is filled with devotion and compassion which are two things that are Jodha personafied.

Further, it is known to be a versatile raga as versatile as the hunars of Jodha. And it is for this reason it is often used in movie songs.

And what a beautiful movie song that both captures the mood of both the raag and Jodha, "Humein tumse pyaar kitna ye nahin jaante, magar ji nahin sakthe tumhaare bina" (Translation: I love you how much, I do not know, but I cannot live without you) from the movie Kudrat.

Now, onto even more fun things ...

Edited by divyavm - 11 years ago

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Part II- Special take 5: Shades of Jodha-Jalal's story in ragamalika style

Now this is the fun part, re-living the shades of love from Jodha Akbar with various raagas ... And I am including songs that are based off those ragas (not pure forms but close) so you can get an easier feel of what the ragas are like ...

So, here goes, the experiment begins:

(1) Pahadi: Though the raga name means, mountains,I am not sending Jodha-Jalal to the mountains. 😆It is an evening raga that can be a mixture of playful and pensive.

Let me quote from a brief but beautiful article I found on the net by Harkesh Bakshi (www.soundofindia.com): "Peace, power, pathos, poignancy: these words together constitute an apposite expression of the aesthetics of the raga Pahadi. The raga is like a lover, unruffled in union, serene in separation, powerful enough to achieve eternal union, but resigned to the painful parting ordained by destiny."

I couldn't have put it better. This raga appeals straight to the heart, as the collection of songs from films would show ... And the related Jodha-Jalal scenes.

- "Chaudvin ka chaand ho, ya aftaab ho" (Translation: Are you the fool moon or the sun?) from the movie of Chaudvin ka Chaand: Who can forget the role of the moon in the love story of Jodha-Jalal. Remember en-route to Sukanya's wedding, Jalal stares at the moon and then to his Jodha Begum as he takes her on a boat ride. The moon was also the witness of their longing for each other as Jodha returned to Agra from Amer after their separation.

- "Dil pukaare aare" (Translation: The heart is calling, come) from Movie: Jewel Thief: The heart that calls to each other ... Their soul talks always show how Jodha-Jalal's hearts are always talking to each other ... Probably most important was the way Jalal called Jodha back after her vishpaan.

- "Kora kaagaz tha mann mera, likh diya naam uspe tera" (Translation: My life was like a blank sheet of paper, till your name was written on it" from Aradhana : How empty were the lives of Jodha-Jalal before they found each other ... Like plain pieces of paper that history and destiny was going to leave an imprint on each other They truly complete each other bringing strength, support, and love into both of their lives.

- "Lag jaa gale ... Ke phir haseen raat ho na ho" (Translation: Give me an embrace ... That such a beautiful night may not come again) from Woh Kaun Thi: As much as we joke about the distance between the hugs between these two ... The hugs are endearing. And my favorite is the one after the Sujamal fiasco separation ... As it truly represented Jodha completely accepting Jalal ...

and with Ruq's interruption, I truly did think "ke phir haseen raat ho na ho" - and if it were up to Ruq's, well that is what she would have wanted. 😆

Other classic songs in this raga include the classic title song Kabhi Kabhi ... You can so see Jalal reciting that poem at the beginning to Jodha , can't you?

(2) Bhimpalasi: An afternoon raga, it is supposed to be a deep, passionate raga that captures the mood of yearning. And my two favorite songs based from the raga say it all ...

- "Kismat se tum humko mile ho ... Kaise chodenge yeh haath" (Translation : It is my good fortune I have gotten you in my life ... How will I leave this hand) from the movie Pukar.

Are the handholds not the most electric part of this jodi, especially in the early days? There was an attraction, a depth, and current that would come from each hand hold. I have done a whole post on hand holds so won't go too far but my two favorites: the first aarti scene (yes, yes the one the baandi interrupted) and the first meeting with Salim Chisti, where Jalal turned back to hold her hand ... And Jodha couldn't say no.

- "Nainon mein badra chaahe , bijlee si chamke haaye." (Translation: Rain clouds fill the eyes, lightening flashes in them" from the movie Mera Sayya,

And equally electrifying is the eyelocks of this jodi ... Jalal would never have imagined that the eyes that would pierce him like daggers in hatred, would be filled with love and affection for him.

With eye locks, this jodi could be alone in a crowd ... One of my favorite examples is after the Badal-Kajri trip, Jodha had saved the slave child ... And his mother thanked them and blessed Jodha-Jalal to be parents ... Both Jodha-Jalal remembered the words of Salim Chisti and were lost in each other in the middle of the DEK.

(3) Khamaaj: It is a playful and romantic raag ... Supposed to represent the beauty and playfulness of spring.

One nice song is "Bhada natkat hai kishen kanhaiya" (Translation: Very naughty is my Krishna) from Amer Prem. Given the constant references to Krishna, how could I not include then. And of course, Jalal is the biggest natkat. A lot of Krishna based songs are based in raagas like Khamaj.

My absolute favorite song : "Tere mere milan ki raina" (Translation: The hope of your and my union) from Abhimaan) ... And please think of the playful fun version on the piano.

The song and mood captures the dream of a newly wedded couple ... Their aspirations, particularly for a child. How well does it reflect the mood of our Jodha-Jalal, eagerly dreaming of their lives together and looking forward towards a life of parenthood.

(4) Yaman: A graceful , majestic evening raag that reflects devotion and dedication.

My favorite song from this raag: "Re mann sur mein ga" (Translation: Oh my heart sing in tune) from the movie Lal Pathhar.

It talks about the heart singing in tune ... And two me, this show embodies how two individuals were singing two disparate tunes ... But now they have come together to create a beautiful melody ...

What examples can I use for this ... It is the very essence of the show!

And now moving on to my favorite ...

(5) Best for last, my favorite raag: Desh, which means Country.

Desh is my favorite raag ... Perhaps, because its name is enough to remind me of patriotism and my homeland as I live in the United States. It is supposed to exude the feel of the countryside.

It is a playful, springtime raag and can be used in romantic contexts ... I had learned a traditional song once "Bheet jaat bharka ritu, sajan nahin aaye" (Translation: The spring time is passing, and my lover has not come yet) ... Do I want Jodha to sing that or what!

... But probably it has been most commonly heard in "Vande Mataram", the Indian national song ... Not the K3G version, but the original version and there is a rendition in AR Rahman's album of the same title.

"Mile sur mera tumhaara" (Translation: May your and my pitch meet together" was another song that played through Doordarshan in Raag Desh for national integration... And if you remember that song, what else can you think of but convergence of religions, traditions, and cultures as we see in our show.

And that is truly one the reasons I love Jodha Akbar as Jodha-Jalal together reflect:

- Love for one own's country and its people through Jodha-Jalal's eyes

- Vision to improve one's country through social reforms and addressing social issues that still are prevalent in many of our countries, e.g., it it just shows how visionary our Emperor and his Begum are

- And just a dedication their people and country which is endearing ... It is when their love rises above duty that truly great leaders emerge.

So, a dedication of Desh to Jodha-Jalal for all they brought to their people, much ahead of their time. Love and vision for their awaam was truly a common bond between the two.

Honorable mention: A raag I hope to see on the show ... Miyan ki Malhaar

And not only because it was a raag developed by our very own, Miyan Tansen, but because it is representative of the rains of the spring time. I always want to see a rain scene between Jodha and Jalal. How romantic would that be! Perhaps, Tansen can be tasked with singing it and doing something on the show.

I asked for a rain scene ... And I got Jalal and Shariffudhin in the rain ... Though Jalal was quite the sight. Have to be better at my wishful thinking ... 😉

Miyan ki Malhaar is supposed to have the power to generate rains ... And there is many a folklore from the Mughal era that it was the case. Perhaps, if I sing it, the rains will wash away all the negative forces in

My favorite songs from the raag: "Bola re papi hara" (Translation: the cuckoo sings) from Guddi which reflects the beauty of spring, rains, and new love and "Baadal Ghumad" (Translation: Black clouds) from Saaz which reflects more the power of rain. Also, love the Meera Bhajan "Bharse Badariya saawan ki" (Translation: The rains are falling) that is rendered in this raaga.

Oh how versatile and beautiful raagas can be!

So, what is your favorite raga / shade of Jodha Akbar? and you don't have to respond in music terms ... But just share your favorite memory or scene.

Hopefully, you liked this travel down memory and music lane. I truly appreciate your likes, comments, and songs.

Edited by divyavm - 11 years ago

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Part III: A few disclaimers

Please read ONLY in Om Puri's speed and tone ... Or else, I am not sure if it is a valid disclaimer 😆

- Indian classical music is a very vast arena ... I have focused on Hindustani classical (North Indian) given its closer proximity to the times of Jodha Akbar ... With references to Carnatic music when possible.

- Accuracy of ragas and their moods: I am trained in Hindustani classical a bit ... But I am in no means an expert. I have supplemented my views on ragas / music with online research. However, I cannot vouch for 100% accuracy. Please feel free to point out potential discrepancies ... But hope the overall mood / tone of the post is correct ... For the interpretation of music and its moods are often in the ears of the listener, so there is likely not one correct answer.

- Matching of movie songs to the ragas: Movie songs are not 100% true to ragas like traditional compositions, e.g., dhrupads, bandishes, and thumris. However, I have referred to them, for people to understand what the mood of the raga is. Hence, these songs are often close matches but not pure versions of the raga ... But hopefully should give you a good enough taste.

Edited by divyavm - 11 years ago

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Part IV : A brief introduction to the world of Indian music

Music is music ... Whether Western, Indian, classical , film, etc. The basic unit is the note ... On the piano, on the violin, projected through your voice. If you want to learn notes, the best place to start is the song "Do Re Mi" from Sound of Music.

And in the West, what is Do Re Mi Fa So Ti Do ... In Indian music ... Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa.

And if you want the song equivalent of that, listen to "Sare ke sare ga ma ko lekar gaate chale , pa pa nahin hein, da ni se didi, didi ke saath he saare" from Parichay

The beauty of Indian music is it is organized in ragas ... A raga is defined by the notes in it ... There are guiding principles that bound a raga

- what notes are included, e.g., In Raag Bhoopali (Carnatic: Mohanam) only Sa Re Ga Pa Da Sa is used ... No Ma, and Ni

- what notes are sharp (higher pitched) vs. lower pitched, e.g., in Raag Yaman (Carnatic: Kalyani) , all the notes are there but the Ma is sharp

- the ordering of the notes, e.g., in Raag Yaman , on your way up you typically start Ni Re Ga Ma ... Instead of Sa Re Ga Ma

There are other guiding principles for ragas - what type of compositions they are used for, times of day.

And coming from that each raga has a mood. In many cases, ragas were personified in Ragamala Paintings, many during the Mughal era.

And that is the beauty of Indian classical music, that the mood of the raga itself invokes an emotion beyond the words and structure of the song.

And hence, here is a take of applying various ragas to Jodha Akbar ... Both the characters and specific moods.

If you have any additional questions on raagas, feel free to PM me.

Edited by divyavm - 11 years ago

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

A labor of love that I hope you all enjoy 😳

Edited by divyavm - 11 years ago

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Finally updated all parts! I look forward to your thoughts ... And please do not feel you have to respond with music / songs ... It is more about the moods of Jodha Akbar than anything else.

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anshita priyadarshni

@marshi

Voyager

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

Awesome post totaly loved it mine is desh

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divyavm

@divyavm

Sparkler

Posted: 11 years ago

Originally posted by: marshi
Awesome post totaly loved it mine is desh

Thanks so much! My favorite is Desh as well .. It can be loving, playful, patriotic, nostalgic all in one ... Just like Jodha Akbar.

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Mihrimah Ahmed

@ShadeOfWhite

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

Divi, first of all tell me r u a singer? classical one?😲 I have noticed u have always explained JJ's relation with music in your posts...and today u r talking about Rag and Ragini! and that too with so much depth...

trust me all went over my head...😔no idea of any such thing😔 I am an anaari reader of this post

but yes I did enjoy...😳 after all u explained JJ's characteristics relating to music.😳