Ud jayega hans akela

If ever I have known nostalgia, now is it.

And if it could be embodied in a single tangible thing, it would have to be this song.

For a little less than a month a group of people came together, strangers most of them, to shoot a film. What followed was a joyride. For those 20 odd days, as we all woke up at unearthly hours and dragged ourselves out of bed and over the mountain paths to the locations- we were close, so close- we were friends, buddies, partners in crime, companions on a journey, contributors, nay collaborators in a common creative effort.

On those walks and drives to location, we often had music playing on the cab music system or someone’s cellphone. On the longer drives, Sayani and Sahil would often hum or sing little snippets of old Hindi film songs.

But the one that stuck in my head is this one that played off Manav’s cellphone on the long drive to Devaria tal, and then again on the walk up to the hut when the two of us went to shoot some time lapses and plates.

The shoot came to an end, as it had to. And people began to leave one by one. And I felt a sadness I had never felt before… 

And these lines, quoted from the song, could not be more appropriate.

Jaise paat gire taruvar ke

Milna bahut duhela

Na jaanu kidhar kirega

Lagya pawan ka rela

As the Leaf Falls from the Tree

Is Difficult to Find

Who Knows Where it Will Fall

Once it is Struck with a Gust Of Wind

I wish them well, everyone who was with us on this beautiful journey, whether or not our paths ever cross again.
:')