Jiya Jale: The Stories of Songs Paperback – Illustrated, 10 November 2018

This is a book for you if you are a fan of Gulzar sab and his poetry and film songs. The book contains interesting tit-bits of information about the various songs he has written n the people he has worked with. Plus it consists of Gulzar's insight into his songs and beautiful translations by Nasreen Munni Kabir.

A conversation that writer like him deserves. The aim of the book was to extract stories behind the songs that Gulzaar sahab has penned down in his long continuing career, and boy oh boy, it totally fulfils its objective and presents you on a platter the whole deal that goes behind writing songs. The limitations of film songs and playing with the language came highlighted in the conversation.It is a very fast read and an interesting one.

Nice and interesting book to know about work of Gulzar sahab with his colleagues and friends.His regards particularly for Shailendra, sahir and Madan Mohan were deep and praiseworthy.Having enjoyable content.

You must have heard the songs but you will actually start listening to the same songs differently and start understanding it after or while you are reading this book. A must read for fans of words and the man - Gulzar!

Really beautiful book about songs and other tidbits of songs and artists.

A mildly interesting book on Gulzar's songs and his relationships with composers, singers and film directors involved in the making of those songs. Gulzar is perhaps the greatest lyricist in the history of Hindi cinema. His songs from the late 60s to the mid-90s are marked by a remarkable contemplative depth and a moving portrait of the complexities of human relationships. There is probably no lover of Hindi film songs who isn't deeply moved by the lines, "haath se chhu ke isse rishton ka ilzaam na do.. sirf ehsaas hai, rooh se mehsoos karo, pyaar ko pyaar hi rehne do, koi naam na do..", or "do naina, ek kahaani.. thoda sa baadal, thoda sa paani".The book, however, keeps away from most of these masterpieces, focusing largely on Gulzar's work in the first two decades of the 21st century, which is far lesser in its depth and beauty, perhaps largely because of the changing nature of the films for which it is written. The reason for this choice of songs in the book could be that an earlier book - In Conversation with a Poet - covers the more popular songs.The insights that emerge into the songs and the process of song-writing, through the interviews, are also not particularly illuminating. The book remains readable if one loves the poet and the tradition of Hindi film songs, but never draws one in with any intensity.

Usually, I take at-least a couple of days to finish a book but that one I completed on the same day of arrival.I love Gulzar's poetry, his songs and Nasreen's translation just add some spice to it.

It is journey into to the nostalgic world. To listen to the stories behind making od the songs which turned out to be classics a joyful experience. Who knew that "Dil dhoondta hai" number was originally "Jee dhoondta hai" and how it got converted?Apart from these anecdotes, I came to realise the value of the lyrics of the peppy numbers like "Chhaiyan chhaiyan". I had ignored the lyrics earlier.Surely to be read by gourmets.