Na to Caravaan ki Talaash hai...

I don't know what took me so long to look for this quawwali on YouTube. I had seen the full version on TV long long ago with my mom, and then, for long, had lamented that I had only an abridged version on my audio cassette (now gathering dust somewhere). Not that I blamed the good folks at SaReGaMa - after all they had to fit some N gems on that small cassette - Barsaat Ki Raat on one side and Tajmahal on the other.

But yesterday, out of some sudden inspiration, I searched and easily found the video, and watched the song in full, for only the second time, after a long long time. Long live the information revolution!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=996FZokJ2jI

How things live in a video recording. Probably each and every one associated in any which way with the creation of this video is dead and gone.

Subsequently, also found the other great Quawwalis of Barsaat Ki Raat. Again, a couple of pleasant surprises  in the form of shers not inlcuded in the audio cassette.

Nigaah-e-Naaz ke maaron ka haal kya hoga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPOTXEobLvU

Pehchaanta hoon khoob tumhari nazar ko mai:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFDWCnF7tj8

There's no end of things I can say about these great quawwalis. Will say only two things however. One: It would not be wrong to say that Sahir Ludhianwi has written the whole film, though he has only written the lyrics of the ghazals and quawwlis - since the story seems to be said through the songs. And second is this sher from one of the quawwalis:

Aayi hai unke chaand se chehare ko choom ke
Ji chahata hai choom loon apni nazar ko mai

The whole movie is also on YouTube, thankfully. Looking forward to watching it one of these days.