Six reasons for the Saawan Season

Saawan?s the season of not just (umm?) Love. Actually! It?s about a whole lot more?plip-plop of childhood innocence, downpour of civic nonsense, torrent of evil darkness, drenching seduction, sweet drizzle of romance, splash of fresh life, dark sheets of pain for the jilted lover and more. No defining all the moods for the month. But, here are six.

Saawan’s the season of not just (umm…) Love. Actually! It’s about a whole lot more—plip-plop of childhood innocence, downpour of civic nonsense, torrent of evil darkness, drenching seduction, sweet drizzle of romance, splash of fresh life, dark sheets of pain for the jilted lover and more. No defining all the moods for the month. But, here are six.

HT Image

1-The innocence

Yeh shohrat bhi le lo, bhale chheen lo mujhse meri jawaani, magar mujhko lauta do bachpan ka saawan, wo kaagaz ki kashti, who bearish ka paani…
—Ghazalby Jagjit & Chitra Singh

Playing in the rain with paper boats, sloshing around with classmates and hoping mom wouldn't yell to call you into the house... Which one of us has not lived those moments of pure fun? Remember holding the entire universe, squeezed into that spoonful of raindrops, caught in the hands cupped close to your heart?

2-The romance
Rim jhim rim jhim, rum jhum rum jhum, bheegi bheegi rut meing, tum ham, tum ham…
—ManishaKoirala & Anil Kapoor in 1942-A love story

First love, meeting secretly, soft rain… What’s love without the clouds in communion, the earth and the skies longing out for each other? Two hearts beating to a single rhythm huddled beneath a single umbrella, the ever-memorable Nargis-Raj Kapoor scene in Barsaat. True love, flowing effortlessly, soothing the soul in sweet, wet solace.

3-The seduction
Hai, hai yeh majboori…. tere do takiyaan di naukri, mera lakhon da saawan jaye…
—ZeenatAman & Manoj Kumar in Roti, Kapda aur Makan

Market value on sizzling seduction aside, when the rain won’t care, there’s no dousing the blaze of an explosive cosmic dance, soaking to the skin, through the skin, arsonists of love, water doth but fuel.

4-The evil
Aaja gufaon mein, aaja gunah kar le…
-Theme song in Aks with Amitabh Bachchan on an stormy night in the mountains

When betrayal is a pinprick of evil and it rains blood over the white rock of truth, when sheets of black darkness melt over the city, screaming-splitting the sky, venomous fangs of fear sucking, devouring, attempting to destroy the atman… Storms that destroy us on many levels and many planes in worlds yet uncharted and dimensions yet unknown… Floods, washing away whole towns… choking, glutting, logging. The Destroyer stomping past in rage.

5-The sorrow
Mere naina sawan bhadon, phir bhi mera man pyaasa…
—Rajesh Khanna in Mehbooba

Lonesome, purple rain that won’t wash away the hurt. Pouring sadness, draining desire, when tears won’t ebb and memories scourge. The longing that chokes not just the throat but a brittle madness that rusts in the rain. Rain and pain, just four-letter words.

6-The life force
Ghanan ghanan ghanan… ghir aaye badra, ghane ghan ghor kaare chhaye badra, dhamak, dhamak goonje badra ke danke, chamak chamak dekho bijuria chamke…
—AamirKhan and ‘his people’ in Lagaan

Fresh bubbles of the lifeforce, re-invigorating, re-juvenating, rebuilding, healing, washing and cleaning. And, God said, “…I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean… I will cleanse you from all…”. Simple rain, joyous rain, washing the aura and renewing Nature, naughty little buds, yawning awake blades of grass, go cajole the sun to shine… Boondon mein jaane naya kya hai… (Remember, the ‘forgetless’ Alto advertisement?)

Endless motifs of monsoon from the sublime to the mundane-memories, pakodas and tea, barsaatis, raincoats, umbrellas, galoshes, English weather, sea-side… in English literature, in Hollywood...and these were just a few.

Ah! Saawan’s the season of not just (umm…) Love. Actually! It’s about a whole lot more!