This song eulogizes the mother, who for all is an important part of their lives. I for one am very grateful to my Mom to have brought me up in the way she did. She is the backbone of our home. That can be seen, whenever she is ill.
Movie: The song is from the Prasad Productions’ 1966 movie Daadi Maa (Paternal Grandmother) produced and directed by T L V Prasad, starring late Ashok Kumar, late Bina Rai, late Rehman, Tanuja, Mumtaz, Shashikala, late Durga Khote, late Mehmood, late Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar and Dileep Raj in important roles.
Music of this song is heard while titles are running. Pratap (Ashok Kumar) lives a wealthy lifestyle with his wife Parvati (Bina Rai). But they are childless. He has a tiff going with his step-mother, Maharani (Durga Khote), since she had ill-treated him and his sister, during their childhood. He also has a fall-out with his wife, after the Municipal Elections, which he had lost. He throws her out of his home and she gives birth to a son in her brother, Dr. Bharti’s (Rehman) home.
In the meanwhile, Maharani’s own daughter-in-law, who is against the squabble, gives birth to a son in anonymity but meets Dr. Bharti and before dying hands over her son to him. When he brings this child home, the medical expert husband and wife find it difficult to rear the child for he needed a mother. Nobody comes forward to provide that kind of care. When Parvati gets to know about the problem, she offers to nurse the child, without knowing that the child’s mother is Bahurani.
After some convincing by his sister’s husband (Mahmood), Pratap visits Dr. Bharti’s home and abducts the other child, Shankar. Parvati wants to reveal to her husband that the child he had taken was not theirs, when her brother tells her the truth about the child. With the child Shankar falling ill, Pratap decides to patch up with his wife and sends his brother-in-law to bring her back. She returns with their real son, but cannot tell her husband the truth. Therefore, she says that the child is an orphan and of an unknown caste. The child, Shomu is sent to be brought up in the stable behind their home. But Parvati gives equal love to both the children.
Both the children grow up in Parvati’s care, but Shomu (Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar) as the servant and due to her up-bringing both the boys are inseparable like brothers. While Pratap educates Shankar (Dileep Raj) in expensive schools and institutions, Parvati, an educated mother, makes sure that Shomu does not remain uneducated. When Shankar returns after completing his education, he, Shomu and Parvati go for a trip to a temple. This is when the song appears in the movie.
Song: Music is by Roshan and lyrics by Indivar.
The song goes thus, “We haven’t seen God. But is there such a requirement when your face is not different from the face of God? Oh mother! Forget humans, even devtas (angels here) have grown up on your lap. Heaven is in this world, lying at your feet. Your eyes pour mother’s love on us. Where will we find another such idol?”
The song continues, “How will sorrow burn us like the sun’s heat, why should we feel unhappy, when your hands with blessings stay on our head? (Since you are constantly blessing us.) When you are there, why do we need the sun on a dark path? There are no words left to praise you. (Your qualities are so highly acclaimed.) Even God’s affection does not equal your love. For us there is no treasure larger than you.”
Video: Cinematography Dwarka Divecha.
The trio Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar, Dileep Raj and Bina Rai travel in a buggy (horse carriage), with a lot of fruits to offer at the temple. They travel to the temple and back during the song. On the way the carriage runs on a small tar road like we see in small towns and villages in India.
The entire journey passes through scenic beauty of nature. There are mountains, trees and grasslands. Cows are moving about. The carriage passes near a lake as well. The cinematographer has picturized the song very beautifully. The contrast in color is pleasing to the eyes.
It feels as if we are travelling with them and experiencing the cool air and the visual beauty of nature.
Artists: Mahendra Kapoor and Manna Dey sing in the playback. The performers are Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar and Dileep Raj, while Bina Rai looks on.
Cultural Influence: The song depicts the magnificence of the mother. There is nobody comparable to her. If you trust, believe and obey her, there is heaven at her feet. This is a truth, which only people who have experienced it will understand.
