A P(il)uzzled Dey rendered this

Sur Na Saje, from Basant Bahar, was both ironic and iconic. Shailendra penned the lines, Sur na saje, kya gaoon main (which translates to, “I can’t set the tone. What should I sing?”) and Sur ke bina, jeevan soona (“Life is lonely sans melody”), which reflected the protagonist’s perP(i)l(u)exity.

But the Shankar Jaikishan composition was rendered by Manna Dey, who (a) was adept at setting the tone, (b) was seldom confused when it came to lending his voice to a track and (c) lived a harmonious life*.

(*Note: The singer died at 94 in 2013.)