Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest cinematic offering - Guzaarish - opens with the song 'Smile'. The song is a personal favorite of mine. Hence I warmed up in my plush seat in the auditorium, as the montage showcasing the details of Ethan Mascarenas' daily rigors unfolded on the big screen. Ethan (played brilliantly by Hrithik Roshan), the protagonist, was paralyzed below the neck - the aftermath of an accident fourteen years ago - and his days now consisted of being washed, dressed and fed by his nurse, Sofia (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan).
This is the song:
"Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile with your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just
Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile
that's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile"
Unable to use his hands to shoo away a fly that lands on his face, Ethan does as the song suggests, and smiles. The smile reveals the incandescent soul of the protagonist, and that of the supremely crafted film that banks on the visuals and the emotions more than any realism in the narration or in the screenplay.
Ethan spreads hope and happiness to others by hosting a radio show called Radio Zindagi and the song 'Smile' is shown being played for the same. Being a quadriplegic, he cannot actually play, hence Sofia does the job of playing the record for him.
The song 'Smile' has been sung in the film by Dominique Cerejo. But, actually, it is a song based on an instrumental theme used in the soundtrack for the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times and was composed by Chaplin himself, while John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and title in 1954.
In the lyrics, the singer is telling the listener to cheer up and that there is always a bright tomorrow, just as long as they smile.
'Smile' has become a popular standard since its original use in Chaplin's film.The song was originally sung by Nat King Cole, charted in 1954.
A cover version of the song had also been sung by Cole's daughter, Natalie, on her 1991 album, Unforgettable...With Love.
Singer Michael Jackson recorded the song for his 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It was planned to be released as the eighth and final single from the album in 1997 but was canceled days before its release date. Only a few copies from the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa (where the record distribution was started previous to the withdrawal) were saved as the other copies were withdrawn. The remixes on this release have never been released commercially since, but some can also be found on the "Is It Scary" promotional 12" records from the UK.
Michael Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, sang this very song at Michael's memorial service on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
Jackson had never performed this song live; an HBO special was once planned with the song being performed, but Jackson collapsed during the concert's rehearsals. During the final concerts of his History World Tour, the song was played at the beginning of each concert in memory of Princess Diana. In the documentary 'Living with Michael Jackson', Michael had himself mentioned the song.
[Trivia: Courtesy - Wikipedia, and Google News.
Note: No copyright infringement intended.]
