Aap ki nazaron ne samjha - Madan Mohan & Lata Mangeshkar's gem in Raag Adana

Gratitude set to melody. Unpacking the Raag Adana, the notation, and the genius behind one of Hindi cinema's most unhurried love songs with some other bonus songs which you might know about.

May 22, 2026

Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha - Sargam Notation

रें सां सां सां - | रें नी सां - रें सां नी प प प - |
आ प की S | न ज़ रों S ने स म झा S |
Aapki nazron ne samjha

नी सां गं सां सां ध नी |
मु झे SS S S |
Mujhe

सां सां नी सां | सां गं रें सां नी नी नी ध ध प प - |
जी S ह में | मं ज़ू SSS र है SSS S |
Jee hamein manzoor hai

म प ध नी | नी नी प ग - रे ग |
आ प का S | ये S फै स ला S S |
Aapka ye faisla

रें रें रें रें - रें रें सां |
के ह S र ही S है S |
Keh rahi hai

ग - रें गं रें सां नी ध | ध - नी |
ह र S न ज़ र S S S | बं दा S |
Har nazar banda

रें गं में गं गं सां - | सां सां सां रें |
प र व र S S S | शु क्रि या S |
Parwar shukriya

नी सां नी सां नी ध नी | रें सां सां सां सां |
हँ S स S के S अ | प नी ज़िं द गी |
Hans ke apni zindagi

रें सां नी | सां - रें सां नी प प प |
में S S | क र S लि या शा मि ल S |
Mein kar liya shamil

नी सां गं सां सां ध नी |
मु झे SS S S |
Mujhe

Raag Adana

Some consider this song a blend of Darbari and Adana, while others treat it as purely Adana. I think it’s Adana because of how Uttaranga Pradhan (mostly in the upper octaves) the composition is, and the prominent omission of the Ga (from the Darbari subset of notes). I would categorize Adana as the more excitable cousin of Darbari. Not to be confused with Jaunpuri, who is also equally as excitable but a little restless, too. To me, Adana feels like gratitude. Same notes as Darbari, but evokes a very different emotion.

Legend has it that this song was originally composed to a different tune, but at the director's insistence, Madan Mohanji composed this version quickly, since Lata Mangeshkarji was already in the studio for the recording.

Hurry is the last word that comes to mind when you listen to the composition. The slow pacing sets Raja Mehdi Ali Khan Saab’s words to this almost waltz-esque melody. Every instrument in the song is working to complement Lata’s voice, which means they set the stage and back away. Probably to witness Lata (a lifelong friend of Madanji) sing this masterpiece live, while it was being recorded.

Madan Mohan remains my mother’s favorite composer. There’s no question about anyone else taking that spot. I assumed it was because he based his compositions on classical Raags, and ornamented them with off-time leads and interludes that still puzzle me as a musician today, but are so iconic. He was the genius and misunderstood musician of his generation, one who never received accolades or awards, even posthumously, but whose impact will live on through his music.

I highly recommend checking out → The Official Madan Mohan Archive, which contains a lot of his private material not available elsewhere. Did you know that the music for the movie Veer Zaara was drawn from Madanji’s unreleased discography, and it became a musical hit 30 years after his passing?

Some other favorite songs of mine in Raag Adana

Radhike Tune Bansuri Churaai - by Mohd Rafi Saab in Raag Adana. Lyrics by Shailendra and music by Shankar Jaikishen.

Mana Mohana mana mein - again by Mohd Rafi Saab, this time composed by SD Burman with lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni.

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