On Yogesh's sixth death anniversary, remembering a classic song which was rewritten in the last minute

The song, Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai from 'Rajnigandha', is a beautiful representation of the internal conflict of the leading protagonist who finds herself drawn to her former lover while being committed with her present one.

Yogesh, the famed lyricist who was in every sense the voice of the 70s, transformed emotions with simplest of the words as just like Anand Bakshi who wrote pure average Hindi.

On his sixth death anniversary, it is the perfect time to revisit one of his best scores — Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai from Rajnigandha — a song which he rewrote at the last minute after writing 43 lines.

Yogesh's songs transformed emotions with simplest of the words.

Yogesh's songs defined an era signified by powerful renditions of meaningful and soul-stirring lyrics. Be it Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli, Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye (Anand), Rimjhim Gire Sawan (Manzil) or Badi Sooni Sooni Hai (Mili), they evoked complex emotions through the simplest of words.

The 1974 film Rajnigandha, which was one of Basu Chatterjee's masterpieces, had just two songs (the other one being Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare) and both became instant classics.

It is a film which captures the mojo of the early 70s and just like Basu's most movies, something different from the usual 'Dishum Dishum' or lousy 'melodramas'.

The song Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai is a beautiful representation of the internal conflict of the leading protagonist — Deepa (Vidya Sinha), who finds herself drawn to her former lover Naveen (played by Dinesh Thakur) while being committed with her present one Sanjay (played by Amol Palekar).

The grapevine is that Yogesh wrote 43 lines and the song was all set to be recorded in the studio. But apparently in a late twist, he told the legendary musician Salil Chowdhury that he did not like it and that he would like to rework on it. He asked for more time and then came up with that gem which helped Mukesh clinch the national award for the best playback singer.

The song has been naturally picturised. Deepa, who is your typical girl next door is spoilt for choice between Naveen and Sanjay. As Deepa wanders through the then less crowded Bombay streets in the good-old yellow-black Premium Padmini car (Mumbai's iconic kaali-peeli taxi) with Naveen, the thought of Sanjay, who is back home in Delhi, comes to her mind.

At a time when directors were reluctant to experiment with topics like a women's inner turmoil, Basu's Rajnigandha took a path from the tradition and Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai sums the whole mood of the film aptly. It's a popular film which any historian who absorbs pure cinema would love watching time and again.

With Naveen never having admitted his love for Deepa, she finally decides to choose Sanjay and the scene of him carrying the Rajnigandha flowers towards the end of the film is a perfect ode to love.