Lyrics to Night Lovers (1992) by Bappi Lahiri

My Twitter timeline recently had this gem of a song that I had completely forgotten about. The only memory of the song that I had was the song title and the tune that it embodied. It was a good refresher and brightened up my day. When I listened to the song this time, somehow the lyrics piqued my interest more than before. Perhaps because I've become inquisitive about the nonsensical lyrics that Honey Singh trashes out or  perhaps because they were so ridiculous in this day and age of YouTube that my interest was piqued.

Anyway, I tried my best to find the lyrics to this song on Google. Found absolutely no search results for this! Went to various sites that I believed to have contained lyrics to all the possible Hindi songs ever released and didn't find it there either. I realized that this was my "golden" opportunity to do community service for Bappi's legion of fans.

I took it upon myself to listen to the song over and over, and try and figure out the lyrics to the song to the best of my ability. I found this quite a challenge to be very honest, even though I've lived all my life in Calcutta, the heartland of where Bappi's accent comes from, and have heard English words being Bonglicized in various accents through that time. This was quite a daunting task and eventually, after 45 minutes, I was able to come up with some sort of a sensible (ironical, isn't it?) version of the lyrics to the song.

For years to come, fans of Bappi Da will remember me to be the man who revived the Night Lovers song and penned it down (quite literally).

I still need some help in the sentences that have a "(?)" against them since I really couldn't catch the words and this really is a best guess effort.




Night Lovers (1992)

Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers)
When I see a pretty gaarl (girl) moow (move) een (in) the deesco (disco)
I want my fraends (friends) to khaao piyo kheesko (khisko)
Leave aas (us) alone on the dance floor
Groove in the night the hours (?) could be more.

Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers) (3)

Saturday raat ko hota hai bukhaar
Monday subah tak utre nahi yaar
Kiss kare, mees (miss) kare, ban kare kees (kiss) (?)
Yunh sharmaaon na, come here pliss (please)
Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers) (3)

1900 mein go bunanus (bananas)
O mere dilbar, o jaanejaanaas
Rock out the clock in archies or sailors (?)
All you pretty girls and you naughty fellers (fellows)
Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers) (3)

{confused and misplaced Indian classical fusion interlude}

Juhu Beach, Chowpatty, Maaaadh (Madh) Island
Fusion, Rock, Pop, sab ka hai yeh band
Bang eet (it) on the beach, shake eet (it) een (in) the sand
But maamy (mummy) ke saamne, nayver (never) hold hands.
Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers) (3)

Pehle teleephone (telephone) pe pataao
Doston ki caarein mein khoob ghumaao
Ice cream kheelao (khilao), juice bhi peelaao (pilao)
Daddy ko magaar heent (hint) na dilaao
Unko lage tum collayj (college) jaate ho
Paataa (Pata) na chale kahaan se aate ho
Shaart mein, coat mein, yaa ho jeans pant
Premiyon ka rap, let’s all chant
Laavers (Lovers), Night Laavers (Lovers) (3)

{painful trumpet interlude with "Christmassy" cymbals}

Laavers (Lovers), we are Night Laavers (Lovers) (3) 
Eeeeeyyyyaaaahhhhhhh we are Night Laavers (Lovers) (2)

Say what again?

The idea behind this post is not to lambast Flipkart (or anyone else for that matter), but to offer some constructive feedback to let them know that they need to fine-tune their response (and policy if required) so that they can continue doing the absolutely awesome job that they're already doing especially when it comes to some spectacular customer-service. Confused? Read on.


Ever since Flyte launched on Flipkart, I've been using it often not just because I am interested in purchasing music, but am generally enthusiastic about the kind of content that people consume as well as the obscure stuff that keeps showing up on and off. There seems to be a serious, concerted effort by the likes of all the music labels who are digging out all their inlay cards, digitizing all their music, investing in providing accurate metadata/information about songs, and sourcing their long-lost albums.


I have been a Flipkart fan ever since I started using their service to buy my first book on 24th October 2011 (which incidentally was a pre-order): "Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography - Walter Isaacson" and have since used their service to buy various things apart from books with music having caught my fancy.


As a music aficionado and a guy who works at Google, I generally have this OCD about incorrect data being supplied and users being provided incorrect information. On one of my various late-night browsing endeavors I happened to get sucked into the vortex of browsing for songs/albums to purchase and happened to chance upon a rare album called 'Lata and Kishore - Live Concert at Sangit Kala Kendra'.


I was flabbergasted not as much by the fact that I had happened to stumble upon this album, but moreso by the song listing provided. 


Here are some anomalies that I found (circled in red) and my commentary alongside.

1) Album says 'Lata and Kishore' but the album artist is 'Asha Bhosle'


2) Artists listed on the album include everyone except Lata & Kishore.


3) Most of the tracks that mention 'live' are not 'live' (except Main Shair To Nahin by Shailendra Singh).















Before you jump to conclusions about how boring a post this is and how often you see this etc., what I was most surprised (and upset) by was that I mentioned these things as feedback against the album hoping that Flipkart will notice this anomaly and send me an email letting me know that they had removed the album and will correct the metadata and add it back to their list.


Well, I did get an email. But, it was to inform me that my comment was removed due to their 'policies' (working in an MNC I so hate that word).


Here's the email I received from them verbatim. Note the highlighted part that confused me at first and then shocked me. Perhaps the shock was out of the confusion that it caused, but I had such high expectations from Flipkart that it surprised me that they had a policy which would not allow people to let them know that the track listing was incorrect so that they can avoid purchasing this album on the pretext of expecting something and being delivered something absolutely different. 


What do you think? Probably an over-reaction on my part?


Dear yyyyy,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts at Flipkart.com for "Lata And Kishore - Live Concert At Sangit Kala Kendra ", dated 6th May 2012.

Thank you for bringing this to our notice and we have forwarded your concern to respective department and upon verification we will do the necessary amendments.

As per our review policy (www.Flipkart.com/s/help), we are not allowed to accept the mention of incorrect details on our website and hence your review has been removed we apologise for any in inconvenience caused. 


(We are not allowed to accept the mention of incorrect details on our website...what?? seriously??)

We would shortly roll-out a customer centric forum welcoming your experiences and feedback on our service and products. We appreciate your patience in this regard.

Please feel free to share your concerns or queries with us at cs@Flipkart.com.

Looking forward to your product specific reviews on Flipkart.com.

Yours Sincerely,
Customer Review Team
Flipkart.com

Car Drivers Avilable (sic)

                                               

Received an email today from 'Raghav Drivers Provider'. Loved points 3,4, and 6. Text below:

we are "Raghav Car Drivers Provider" involved into providing the well trained / Experiened / verified and alcohel free. We provide the car drivers all over gurgaon.

1. Always wear my seat belt and ensure.That my passengers the same.

2. Obey all traffic laws, including speed limits and parking resitritions.

3. Never use a mobile phone while driving, only when parked.,
4. Avoid distractions while driving - like fidding with the sterio, smoking, eating and drinking.

5. Experienced, relible, polite and background verified drivers.

6. familer with rutes.

7. we are working on commision basis.

If u need and ur friends need a car drivers Please refer this E - mail pls call


                                                       

Madness in the name of Our Lord - The Indian Way

It's Holi today. For people unfamiliar with the word, it's the festival of colors where people in this country and their genetic protoplasm spread all around the world like a virus, shed their inhibitions and emerge like the Lochness Monster that's been lying dormant throughout the year spraying color and drinking unbelievable amounts of 'bhaang' (Indianized alcohol, that is deemed and believed to be holy, quite conveniently of course).

Here's a more, real description of what this day usually is like for Indians all over the world.

It's funny how we Indians believe that if there is an occasion to be happy about, they need everyone around them irrespective of caste, creed, and sex to be involved in their happiness. Well, 'forced to be involved' is more like it.

Loud music, unruly behavior, drunken stupor, creating a nuisance, disturbing the peace, forcing down one's beliefs and faith down other people's throats - these are the features of any Indian occasion. How and why are these such important elements of celebrating a festival? You're happy - good. Stay happy in your own home. Mess up your own compound, make a noise in your room, play loud music with your earphones on, spray color on yourself, your family, heck...even your dog. The fact that you're happy doesn't warrant you the right to impose your happiness on me.


Naturally, the rowdier elements of society use this opportunity to threaten the innocent passerby & demand money. But then that's an entirely different matter and doesn't even deserve a separate post since that's really their nature and enough has been written and said about it already.

Funnily enough, this is a day when the lower working class of the Indian population forget which religion they believe in and all of them make it a point to be punctual at the households they work in, are at their best behavior, with a smile upon their faces which is otherwise a contorted countenance on most other days.  There is only one factor that brings about this sea-change in their behavior - 'baksheeh' or money. They consider it their right to partake some money that they feel is rightfully theirs on this auspicious occasion. It is the same set of people who in times of national crises or when it's important for people to keep their wits about them, are up in arms citing religious differences as their main grouse and go about killing people in the name of this sudden attachment to their religious selves and texts alike. Hypocrites - all of them.

Every coin has two sides and if you think about it, this is one festival where this madness results in unity of some sort, where people don't distinguish between each other in terms of skin color or just color in general for that matter.

Coming back to the point. If you're happy about something - keep it to yourself. If someone wants to be a part of that happiness, they will come to wherever you are and join you in your reverie. If someone doesn't feel the need to, or the want either to be part of this artificial day-long craziness, leave them be. Stop that loud music, irrational behavior, crazy drunkenness, and make life normal for people who prefer to celebrate their festival in peace and in the comfort of their own homes. In short (and generalizing it a little bit), GROW UP!

'Twas A Sultry Evening

Ok. So this is not a Mills & Boons-like post at all. In fact, it is something quite different from what the title seems to suggest.

I had arrived in Mumbai the previous night and was absolutely sleep-deprived owing to the IPL finals being played at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Mumbaikars will sympathise with me when they understand that I was scheduled to stay at The Trident, Nariman Point. The journey from DYP to TNP was gruesome and tiring to say the least.

However, that was the night before. This night was an entirely different story though. I had finished early from work (purposefully) and had resolved to lose some flab and exercise my slightly bulgy sinews by taking a walk down Marine Drive - The Queen's Necklace (am sure the 'freedom fighters' of the country won't be proud to hear it being called 'that' again).

Therefore, with sleeves rolled up, a strong resolve, an iPod in hand, and earphones in my ears (where else?) I commenced my short, albeit brisk walk from Trident to Pizzeria unfortunately. Yes - that's where I stopped. So much for 'losing flab'.



Anyway, before I walked into the restaurant, I noticed that there was a crowd that was flummoxed and occupied by a certain individual who had either lost his marbles, or was one of the millions of 'strugglers' in the Hindi Film Industry. At this point, I confess to being a drop in the ocean too (that of aspiring actors). Coming back to the topic at hand here, there was this long-haired, lanky, dark-skinned, 17-year old boy who was carrying out an impromptu acting performance in the middle of the pavement.

His method of acting was such:

Each act in this skit of his would last approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds. He would walk 10 steps towards the road, turn around to face the guffawing audience, brush his hair back, and start walking towards the same audience with a swagger at times and sometimes with a drunken stupor. All of a sudden, he would break into a jig, fling his arms up in the air, unzip his shirt, roll up his sleeves, and perform the Taandav. NB: Apologies for the poor quality of the video.

Each act was varied in nature and he pretended as though he actually had a film camera staring at him in the face and the audience all around him were his 'fans' who were lucky to watch the method actor perform in front of their eyes.

The entire show lasted for 1.5 hours and I was riveted to my perch on the raised cemented platform overlooking the sea admiring the zeal and enthusiasm as well as finding humor not in the actor's performance, but more in the reaction of people surrounding him.

There were groups of people who were sitting there in good humour, just trying to appease the young dolt and guffawing away, sometimes ridiculing him, and sometimes, just laughing at his idiocy.


There were people who were out for their evening walks walking around the actor so as to not arouse his desire to acknowledge them, whom he considered were fans approaching him to take his autograph.



There were young boys (of the same age) whose jealousy knew no bounds, whereby they tried to distract and irritate the young actor in a bid to disrupt the performance.

There were young girls who couldn't stop giggling, which further egged on the boy to do more and more, which eventually caused him to get his zipped shirt stuck around his head while he attempted to do a 'Salman Khan bare-all act', and in turn further increased the entertainment value that was being derived out of the performance.



There were people who were scared of what this fellow was capable of doing were he to use these people as props in his act and start beating them filmy-style or asking them questions. These people turned around immediately upon laying eyes on this 'chokhra'.

Soon, vendors too flocked the scene at realizing that a crowd had gathered and they had a better chance of selling their wares here than anywhere else on that street.

There were lovers who couldn't be bothered even if a meteorite landed right in front of them. They were oblivious to everything around them.

There were foreigners who were clearly bemused and amused at the same time on seeing this slumdog boy, who in turn, realized the opportunity of earning some dollars from the 'goras' and waved madly at them each time he saw one of them pause to take a picture or wait for him to do something dramatic, which unfortunately scared the 'goras' out of their wits and forced them to flee.



There were artists who were drawing caricatures of this creature contorting his limbs without reason and started offering them to people as proof of their expertise so that they could earn some money by being called upon to use their skills to massage the ego of a few tourists who were also admiring (or not) the antics of this crowd-gatherer.

There were people who just walked by, without blinking an eye as though it was the most normal thing in the world, with an air of "So what?"

There were men whose egos were as large as their posteriors, who to assert their upper hand over any and every situation, purposely got in the way of this artist and rapped him on the head a couple of times to show that they are in control.

There were teams of policemen who were busy cursing their bosses (for reasons that this picture will depict), catching an innocent bystander to tell him that he was jaywalking, while he was stationary all this while.



I couldn't take a picture/video of all that was going on around me because of a lack of a device, but if you ever want to experience all the facets of India and draw a parallel with things around you by just standing in one place, just turn up on Marine Drive on any sultry evening.

~ H.

PS - I hope I am still alive to read comments and respond to them after this post has been published. A thousand apologies if I have upset anyone (or anything).

Finally, a CxO.

It all started in October 2007, when a good friend and partner in crime, Arjun Kolady decided to start a new venture. A venture that within 2.5 years would reach more than 100 resilient and passionate individuals.

I have now made the elite list of the under-30s CxO contacts in India as a (brace yourself) - ''Chief Subversion Officer" for the 101-strong 'We Hate Gurgaon' group on Facebook.

I was appointed a CxO on inception, but didn't think back then when we started that this would become a meaningful position. It was just a post created to add an element of fun for all who were part of this movement (hope I don't get into trouble for saying this). Now that we have over a 100 members, the meaning of this position becomes all the more meaningful and important to me personally. I pledge my allegiance and undying loyalty to this great cause.

Will YOU be the 102nd?

~ Hef

Overawed by Singapore

Singapore at night

I was recently in Singapore for about 5 days on an academic visit (that's right - "academic"). There were a few things that I noticed that would make a large difference to the way things are done in India, if implemented. I know that this will in all probability, be a futile exercise, but the observations in itself are fantastic and have something more to it than meets the eye. You'll see what I mean.

Ever since my first visit to Singapore, the city has struck me to be one of the model cities of the world and a place that should be transformed into a case study and replicated in every city in the world. From the airport to the city (and everything in-between), there are things that amaze you and make you think that this is really how it should be. This post does not dwell so much on the common human courtesies that would include things such as letting people exit the train/elevator before boarding, giving up seats for women or for senior citizens or anyone with a slight discomfort, giving right of passage to pedestrians first, or things that we Indians have never heard of or pretend to have never heard of. This post will attempt to point out some of the more uncommon rules and policies that are particular to this country.

A necessary disclaimer is that most of these observations are my own or what have been told to me by some locals and Indian friends who now reside in Singapore. Hence, while they may be factually inconsistent with the actual rules/policies or slight variations, the fact that it could be potentially the right way of doing things is reason enough for it to be discussed and described here.

Secondly, to some, these rules may also appear to be restrictive and downright representative of a dictator regime, but the fact of the matter is that noone's complaining and everyone seems to be happy complying with the rules laid down. This is so much so that even Indians, who are naturally aggressive, unruly, and believe firmly in the concept that "rules are only made so that they can be broken", are perhaps the most law-abiding group of people to set foot in Singapore the minute they get out of the aircraft. Obviously, this behaviour undergoes a complete reversal either when they are among their own kindred in Little India or once they board the plane back to India. Anyway, getting back to the topic, here goes:

• The Changi Airport at Singapore would put the biggest mall in India to shame. Yes - it's expensive and one usually finds things there that are difficult to get in a local convenience store. That is really the basic premise of having a shopping mall. The daily needs of human beings should not be found in malls. They should be found in local stores in every neighbourhood and on every block of every street. I know of one city that definitely does not follow this basic idea and yet calls itself the 'Millennium City'.

Interiors of one of the terminals of Changi Airport

• Still with Changi airport. One terrific thing that I noticed about the airport was the fact that there are Customer Service personnel who are given a mobile workstation that is shaped like a luggage trolley and is on wheels. I guess it stems from the basic premise that a business reaches out to customers, and not the other way around. I was very impressed by this basic idea being innovatively put into motion. Mind you, they also had a stationery Customer Service desk that was manned by an individual at all times.

• Drugs are a big no-no in Singapore. You may be fined $50 for jaywalking, but if drugs are found on you, you are liable to be subjected to capital punishment, aka death by hanging or otherwise, but death nonetheless. This policy is strictly followed in this wondrous city. What it does guarantee is that drug peddlers are non-existent and schools/colleges are devoid of such substances. A big relief to a lot of parents.

• Chewing gum is banned. One of the things that will strike you immediately once you step out of the airport is the beauty of Singapore and the cleanliness on the streets. It really is exemplary. Basic rules such as this one ensures that there is no litter on the road. There are trash cans on every street corner and littering the streets can cause you to cough up a very hefty fine.

• Dirty, noisy, and inherently crowded places have been given certain designated areas to be present in. I am obviously referring to Little India and Chinatown. I shall not elaborate much on this.

• Cigarettes are extremely expensive. In the olden days, smoking was looked upon as a privilege that only the rich classes could afford. Interestingly and quite appropriately perhaps, Singapore has ensured that cigarettes should be priced beyond the means of the common folk.

• Buying a car is almost as expensive as buying a house. The government has ensured that people use as much of the public transport services as possible. Note though that the transport service systems in Singapore are immaculate, affordable, omnipresent, and super-efficient, thereby automatically reducing the need to own a car. What this particular rule also does is that keeps the traffic down to a manageable level, since it's only the super-rich who can afford to drive their own cars around. Even cabs prove to be more expensive than the other modes of transport, but that once again is to keep the locals and global citizens intermingling.

• The concept of weekend number plates. Complimenting the policy of pricing cars exorbitantly, the Government has also created the availability of weekend cars. These cars are priced cheaper than the regular ones (still not easily affordable), but have a special number plate assigned to it, which would ensure that these cars come out onto the roads only on weekends.

• Urinals have the caricature of a housefly at the base. Satisfies two purposes: a) Aiming at the housefly ensures keeps you focused and ensures that you don't splash around, b) In case you are the impatient sorts, it gives you a game to play while you go about your business.

• Politicians are legally rich and are provided for by the State. The Government have struck at the very heart of corruption by ensuring that the members of the parliament are very well provided for. Here again, the purpose is two-fold: a) A politician's role in forming rules and policies is for the welfare of the public, since his welfare is taken care of extremely well, and b) It allows the youth of the country to dream and to have ambitions of one day holding office, quite unlike to the sentiments and regard for politicians that citizens of other countries harbour.

• The State looks after it's citizens. Health, education, food, and lodging is provided for by the Government free of cost to the locals. The underlying principle is that the want of the basic necessities is the root cause behind people resorting to crime. This is perhaps also the reason why Singapore has the lowest crime rates in the world today. Needless to say, the citizens are very proud of their State and talk very highly about their global footprint, but at the same time, retaining focus on the native citizens of the country.

• If you're well-educated and employable, Singapore welcomes you with open arms and perhaps may even chase you down to become a part of the country. Getting a Permanent Residency in Singapore is not as difficult as it is in other countries of the world. They are clearly after people who can do fantastic work for the country, since not only does that ensure prosperity of the State (by way of taxes), but also ensures employment opportunities for it's existing diaspora of citizens.

• Democracy and nominated aristocracy go hand-in-hand. Singapore is a democratic state and when elections come around, there is usually a single candidate who is nominated by the members of the ruling party and is almost certain to win the elections. Usually, a lesser candidate is pitted against him, who is insignificant and present only to ensure that the spirit of democracy stays alive. In conjunction with the earlier point made of ensuring that the members of parliament stay wealthy, it is in their best interests that a person who is capable of thinking for the benefit of the public comes into power. This not only ensures their longevity in their respective positions, but also keeps them popular with the masses.

• When the son of a Permanent Resident turns 17 (provided that the son too is born a Singaporean citizen), he is bound by law to serve in the country's army for a period of at least 2 years. While this may be perceived as forced duty to the State, given the list of benefits that the country offers this son of the soil, it is only fair that the country asks people to not do what the country can do for you, but what they can do for the country. Once again, the dual benefit of this policy is that not only does this individual have his heart in the right place for his country, but it also helps in bringing about a necessary sense of discipline in the cultural upbringing of this 17-year-old. However, the fact that Singapore hasn't fought a war in centuries still doesn't deter a number of parents who are not natives of Singapore (but are permanent residents now) to leave the country just before their son turns 17 so that he doesn't have to join the army.

• Food and electricity are cheap. Bottled water and real estate are not. The reason why food and electricity are cheap is because they are the basic necessities of living in any place on Earth. Most working couples prefer eating out every day. Hence, an additional reason for keeping food prices reasonable. Mind you that even though the food prices are low, there is no compromise on quality by any means. Hygiene and convenience are the cornerstones of the food and restaurant industry in this part of the world. On the other hand, bottled water and real estate are not cheap by any standard. My guess is that the reason for bottled water being expensive is because Singapore's tap water is clean enough to be had directly from the source. Being an environment-conscious country and recognizing that water is a depleting source will do them more good than harm even though they are surrounded by water on all sides. Real estate being expensive is obviously because of the function of limited space without overcrowding and maintaining low density for various reasons.

• The Government discourages it's citizens from gambling. Singapore derives most of it's income if not all of it from tourists and it being viewed as a tourist haven. As a result, in an effort to outdo Macau, they have recently opened casinos to suit the vices of a number of otherwise harmless, compulsive gamblers. Having done that, they have also imposed a very heavy entrance fee for the locals, since their objective is to ensure that the citizens keep their hard-earned money in places better than the top of a blackjack or roulette table. Furthermore, the Government has given the right to people to ban their kin and direct relatives from casinos by a method of blacklisting by the casino management upon request.

I am quite sure that there would be quite a few rules that are not favourable to the citizens of the country (noone's perfect). However, in my apparent view of the way things function there, didn't seem to feature in the list of things that don't work well there. The quest for my next visit will be to stumble upon and discover maladies of the system to write about in my blog to give a balanced view of one of the most admirable countries in the world today.

As you would have logically concluded by now, I was completely overawed and amazed at the way this country functions, with pretty much a dumbfounded expression like the Sardarji has in the picture below, representative of the Indian in me. Oh, and yes - people in Singapore spend a lot of time in the MRTs and love their electronic gadgets and phones.

More soon.

H.