Kishore Kumar's 'Nazrana Bheja Kisi Ne Pyar Ka' celebrates the sheer joy of being in love

There are love songs that plead, others that pine, and still others that behave as if romance were a terminal illness. Then there's Rajesh Roshan's 'Nazrana Bheja Kisi Ne Pyar Ka' from the 1978 Dev Anand film, Des Pardes. Kishore Kumar here sounds like a man who has just discovered that being in love is not merely wonderful but ridiculously happy-making.

The song's greatness lies in the sheer, unembarrassed happiness of his singing. Kishore doesn't so much deliver the melody as unwrap it, with that unmistakable elasticity of voice, mischievous warmth, and effortless ability to make even the simplest phrase sound like a private celebration.

Amit Khanna's delightful lyrics - 'Nazrana bheja kisi ne pyar ka/ Hai diwana jo bas tere didaar ka (Someone has sent a gift of love/ he's a fool crazy just for a glimpse of you' - understand something that more solemn romantic poets frequently miss: love need not arrive burdened with metaphysical anguish. It can be a gift, a surprise, an occasion for uncomplicated delight.


What makes the song irresistible is its complete absence of cynicism. Kishore sings without justification or restraint.