QSQT

 
Today is the silver jubilee of QSQT or Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak - the blockbuster movie which released on April 29, 1988. The movie took the entire Bollywood industry by storm and overnight its lead cast - Raj (Aamir Khan) & Rashmi (Juhi Chawla) catapulted into stardom. Aiding its wonderful direction (by Mansoor Khan) was the movie's wonderful music - beautiful lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri ably assisted by music directors Anand-Milind. Of course, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik sang as only they could - making us get wistful, elated and sad as the songs required us to be.

Who, among us, has not identified with "Papa kehte hain" - where Raj, at his farewell, discusses his uncertainties on passing out of college - what will he make a career out of; whom will he fall in love with?

My favourite is "Gazab Ka Hain Din" - when both Raj & Rashmi lost in the jungles are trying to find their way to the main road. Rashmi mischievously redraws the arrows that Raj is drawing on the trees to help them find the way. She keeps reminding Raj that both of them are alone in the jungle and they should make the most of it. Alas, "Phir bhi jaane ja, main kahan aur tu kahan."

"Ae Mere Humsafar" brings out the angst of two lovers, who are patiently waiting for things ("Ik Zara Intezaar) to happen, beautifully. "Akele Hain Toh Kyan Gum Hain" celebrates the fact that even though the two lovers, who have eloped, have nobody with them, they couldn't really care as long as they have each other for company.

The dialogues by Nasir Hussain stood out wonderfully as well. Both Raj & Rashmi addressing each other and themselves as aap and hum was cute :) My favourite dialogue from the movie is "doobta hua suraj". Raj is jogging down one evening as the sun sets behind him and Rashmi, while merrily clicking a few pictures of the sunset, manages to get in quite a few of Raj as well. The next scene is played out really well - Raj says he has heard that keeping a self-photograph with a setting sun leads to a shorter lifespan. The dialogue is referred to later when Raj says, "Doobte hue suraj ne hamein pehli baar milaya tha. Dekhna, yehi doobta hua suraj hamein hamesha hamesha ke liye mila dega." Sigh!!!

I remember feeling depressed and sad at the end - why did they have to die? But, guess, all love stories need not have a happy ending. Needless to say, as both lie dying in each other's arms, the sun sets behind them. Doesn't every sunset, along with its beauty, also inspire a certain amount of sadness in us? Nobody knew that better than Nasir Hussain and Mansoor Khan.