Samvedna-Jagjit Sings for Atalji

Samvedna is indeed a high powered album. Everyone connected with this casette is No.1 in his respective field. Six poems written by Atal Bihari Vajpayee , our honourable ex- Prime Minister are featured. The introduction penned by Javed Akhtar is read out in rich baritone by Amitabh Bachhan. The poems have been set to tune and sung by the great Jagjit Singh. To top it all, the video features Sharukh Khan mouthing the lead song of the album. The video as well as the audiocassette are a treat to any connoisseur of music and poetry.

ABV besides being a politician with over 50 years in public life, also is a well-accomplished poet. Many compilations of his poems have been published. He displays an exceptionally sensitive and philosophical side of his personality, which of course does not come as a surprise to anyone who has closely studied his conduct in public life.He writes in chaste Hindi, which is not as bad as Doordarshan brand Hindi, one can understand with a little effort. The underlying melancholy in some of his poems hints at having been betrayed in love, maybe, that is the reason why he d never to married. It’s my personal feeling.I am just speculating.

Now to the songs;

1.Kya khoya kya paya…is the lead song that is also featured in the video picturised on Shahrukh. ABV also makes brief appearance. Poet makes an introspection of his past to assess what all did he gain and what has he lost. Superbly composed song has been rendered soulfully by Jagjit. This is the best song of the album.

2. Ek baras beet gaya; Penned by ABV on first anniversary of the Emergency while he was still in jail. ABV is dismayed as well as surprised that one year has passed ! Many thought that in a democracy like India, something like Emergency could never happen, but it did ! and not even a dog barked! I too am a witness to the happenings during the period, it was unbelievable, a nightmare and a blot on Indian society and polity.

3. Jeevan beet chala: A beautiful stanza… Hani labh ke palade mein, ( Weighed in the scale of profit & loss, life has become a business, everything up for sale has a price, what is not for sale, becomes useless) Forgive me my poor translation, I am no poet.

4.Chourahe par; Another sensitive poem expressing the dilemma of an innocent bystander caught at crossroads of life.
5. Door kahin koi rota hai: A pensive, reflection on ironies of life and death.
6. Kadam milar kar chalna hoga: A forceful exhortation to his colleagues to work together as a team, a quality that eludes most of us in India. This was written after the dismal failure of the Janata Party Coalition at Centre. In retrospect, it now looks that if no one else, ABV surely took his own poem seriously and made it his basic action plan and guiding star. Reading the poem makes you feel the enormity of the task that ABV accomplished by holding together a motley collection of over two dozen political parties & groups in a shaky coalition which surprisingly completed its full term and did a good job. This one is another nice song in musical terms. Except for 1st and last, other compositions are not rich in musical value. The casette is worth adding to one's collection. The jacket gives full text of all the poems featured.