Shaitan: Bejoy Nambiar’s ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ moment

Khoya khoya chaand,
Khula aasmaan
Aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
Tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi

This evergreen romantic number from the movie Kala Bazar is one of the most memorable songs of Rafi. And no collection of Dev Anand’s songs is complete without this. Its one of those numbers, that’s easy on the lips. And in every game of ‘antakshari’, the first song that comes to mind, with the alphabet ‘kh’ is this song.

Apart from Dev’s boyish charms and the moony sky under which he walks, this love potion is so sweet that even on a cloudy night you hum this song hoping that the moon would appear from behind the clouds. This song is etched in my memory, thanks to Doordarshan’s early morning Sunday program called ‘Rangoli’. This seemed to be one of their favourite songs, and I never missed it.

Masti bhari hawa jo chali
Khil khil gayi yeh dil ki kali
Mann ki gali mein hai khalbali
Ke unko to bulaao

Cut to 2011, two cops are on their job tracking a white lady who was last seen in a dingy lodge. The cops are in for a surprise as a Nigerian drug peddler opens fire while the cops find a white lady lying on a bed, almost dead. They retaliate and a gang-bang ensues. On another floor, KC crashes a TV box on the head of a goon who tries to get on top of Tanya. A glass tumbler breaks on the floor, and simultaneously the 5er break open a door. And a crooning voice, on a very high note, starts singing Khoya Khoya Chand.

Its not an occasion that calls for a song, forget about a melodious romantic track like Khoya Khoya Chand. But here, going against any sense of violence depicted in movies, breaking tradition, and creating new grounds, we hear Suman Sridhar’s sexy and westernised voice.

Its not Suman’s voice alone that does the trick. Had that been the case, even Hawa Hawai would have been just as good. But, its the entire mood thats created by Bejoy. At the backdrop of a sweet song with meaningful lyrics, we see gun shots and blood squirts. Talk of an audio/visual oxymoron!

Aisi hi raat, bheegi si raat
Haathon mei haath hotey woh saath
Keh lete unse dil ki yeh baat
Abb to na sataao

Magazines after magazines are reloaded into the gun, bullets ricochet off the walls and Arvind continues firing. Suman’s voice, backed by the beats, the guitar piece and a fine tempo, rustles as she sings almost the entire song while a lodge turns into a battlefield. Bullets are pumped into the innocent foreigner, the Nigerian drug peddler gets shot in one world while in another world the 5er run for their lives. Suman does an excellent job and infuses life into it. Her attitude mixed with Bejoy’s filming makes it glorious.

The visuals are stunning and the sequence is very well shot. Its easily seen that Tarantino is the inspiration for it. But Bejoy does not ape Tarantino, he goes a step ahead. He adds sexy to the cool stuff. What was made cool by Tarantino, suddenly becomes appealing and you can’t get it off your mind. That’s a lesson everyone must learn from Bejoy, on how to get inspired and still be novel in your own way; add more style and make it your own.

Taare chale, nazaare chale
Sang sang mere woh saare chale
Chaaron taraf ishaare chale
Kisi ke to ho jaao

Other than the moony romance, the song has another interpretation of fading dreams and aspirations. When we are lost in life and the picture is hazy because of the thick cloud cover, light is nowhere in sight. Hopes fade away, glory days are behind, the glow on the face is gone, and people no longer remain the same as situations change them. That could also be termed as ‘khoya khoya chand’ moment.

And finally when the 5er jump across the building wall and land on a truck laden with cotton, the lyircs go:

Hum mit chaley hai jinke liye
Bin kuch kahe woh chup chup rahey
Koi zara yeh unse kahey
Na aise aazmaao
Oh ho ho, khoya khoya chaand,
khula aasmaan
Aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi
Tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi

That’s the end of a dream they lived in. Their eyes suddenly open to face the dark realities of life. We just catch the last glimpses of a fading moon, breaking trust, losing friends and a frightening future ahead of them. Khoya khoya chand!

This post is also available on MadAboutMoviez