Gulzar and Synaesthesia: A Thread:
Synaesthesia is a literary device in which one sense is described using terms from another. Eg: tasting freedom. A line by Agha Shahid Ali exemplifies this beautifully: ‘When you spoke again, my sorrow turned deaf: I couldn’t hear you smile’.

Gulzar's poetry is an intersectional understanding of the senses, where their functionality is fluid He does not believe in functional fixedness, by describing one sense by another he is somehow able to magnify the momentum that either of them individually were capable of.

A parallel in neurological research is synaesthesia, which some people experience, is a perceptual process where an activation of sensory pathway automatically leads to an involuntary experiences in the others.

If this anyway happens on an automatic level, one can imagine the effect that occurs when the senses are used interchangeably in words and cause each other to get activated, resulting in a stronger and more vivid image and feeling of what is being said.

The thread consists of instances from Bollywood and his published poetry. A very famous eg is his iconic song from Khamoshi:' humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mehekti khushboo, haath se chu ki isse rishton ka ilzaam na do”.

He says the sight of a pair of eyes, which smell beautiful and if they were to be touched,the blame of relationships would taint them. This translation does no justice to his beautiful rendition,but one can see the play with the sight, smell, touch that is typical of synaesthesia

“ muskurahat se khilee rehti hai ankhon mai kahi” Even in Anand, Maine Tere Liye Hi: “Kabhi kabhi to awaaz dekar mujko jagaya khwabon ne” The imagery of a dream calling out/speaking to wake him up exemplifies this. The play on a dream waking someone up is also stunning.

From the beautifully picturised song on Rekha and Vinod Mehra: Apki ankhon mai kuch, mehke hue se raaz hai. Also, in Aaj Kal Paon from the same movie Ghar: Paralagi ankhon ko dekha hai kabhi udte hue?

From Burman’s Album Dil Padosi hogaya: “Joothey tere nain, sautan ki chab chuke aye” “in ankhiyan ka namak paraya, joothe inke bain” (eyes touched the sautan, eyes speak untruths) In Roshni Se from Asoka: 'Roshni se bhare bhare, naina tere. Chuke bole, na chuna na mujhe'

Thematically in Dil Hoom Hoom from Rudaali, ‘ jis tann ko chua tuney, uss tann ko chupao. Jis mann ko laage naina, woh kis ko dikhao’. Touching the heart with the eyes.
Aaja Mahiya, from Fiza: ‘aahista pukaro, sab sunlengey. Bas labon se chulo, lab sunlengey’

Ofcourse, so evident in the classic Chaiiya Chaiyya: “gulposh kabhi itraye kahi, mehke toh nazar ajaye kahin”. Even in Satrangi Re, “aankhon ne kuch aise chua” “chooti hai mujhe sarghoshi se, ankhon mai ghuli khamoshi se”

In Puche jo Koi, from Yahaan: Pooche jo koi meri nishaani, rang hina likhna. Writing a colour.
In Kiss of Love, from JBJ “aapse ye arz hai, aapka ye farz hai, nabz to dekhiye, jaan ka ye karz hai”

In Omkara, namak: “kabhi ankhiyon se peena, kabhi honthon se peena” O Saathi re, ‘Ubal pade in aankhon se meethe paani ka jharna’ The imagery of the eyes boiling tears is so stark.
In Bekaraan, from Saath Khoon Maaf: ‘ Udti udti si nazar
Mujhko choo jaaye agar,'

In Saans from JTHJ, “rooh ne chu li, jism ki khushboo, tu jo pass ayi”

In ye ishq hai, Rangoon: 'Resham si nazron ko, aankhon se sunta hai"

Even in his published poetry, its usage is pervasive. ‘Ek parvaaz dikhayi di hai, teri awaaz sunayi di hai’ ‘koi khamosh zakhm lagti hai, zindagi ek nazm lagti hai’ ‘ruh dekhi hai kabhi, ruh ko mehsoos kiya hai’ 'phulon ki tarah lab khol kabhi, khushbu ki zaban mai bol kabhi’

The vast nature of his published poetry is impossible to capture in a thread. But I hope the gist is clear. His inimitable style, unseen comparisons and this brilliant usage of senses makes him for what he is. P.S I might have missed out on a lot.

Anyone who knows me or follows me knows how I don't love Gulzar Sahab. I live him. I spent all day reading him today. My heart is weird rn, as I have never compiled his work before in words, I just keep him in my heart.
If you read the complete thread, thank you.
Fin.

P.s. My clumsy self is prone to mistakes and typos. The Literary Device is Synesthesia, the neurological trait is Synaesthesia.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqphoj