Chhaayaageet #141 - “Ye words koi qawwali mein hote hain?”
The choreographer and music composer are judges on a music reality show. Amidst the banter she, the choreographer, tells him, the composer, that whenever she directs her first film, he will be the one to compose music for it.
”Lekin mere ko RD Burman jaisa music chahiye”, she throws down the gauntlet. But I want music like RD Burman. That’s a tall order.
It takes her almost three years to be ready with the script. True to her promise, she signs him as the music composer. One fine day, they are in a sitting, discussing the music and some song situations - she, he and a veteran poet who has come on board as the lyricist.
The filmmaker’s brief to the lyricist and composer is that the song needs to be a qawwali. The lyricist has written beautiful words keeping in mind the meter and tempo of a qawwali.
Suddenly, the composer has a hair brain idea. He throws it out there, “We will start the qawwali with WhatssssUp”. He makes a raw guttural sound as he says that.
The lyricist is taken aback. It is a shock to his system. He sees the filmmaker not reacting to it. As they continue working on the song, the composer isn’t done with his crazy ideas. He inserts English words in between the antaras, words like “Wicked”.
The lyricist is stunned. What the heck? If this is how they want to compose and record a qawwali, he wants nothing to do with it.
He brings the proceedings to a halt, and directs his ire at the composer. How could he even think of messing with the purity of the medium?
“Ye words koi qawwali mein hote hain?”, he fumes. Do you ever see these words in a qawwali?
Without waiting for an answer, the lyricist storms out of the room.
The filmmaker and composer look at each other. The filmmaker gets up and follows the lyricist, determined to bring him back. She catches up to him in order to convince him to return.
”The composer is right. I want a funky qawwali.”
Arguments ensue. This is not how it is done. If you want to do a qawwali, do a proper qawwali. If you want to do something funky, don’t call it a qawwali.
The filmmaker is in no mood to listen. She is also not in a mood to take a no. She will have it her way.
”Both you and the composer are working according to my briefing. I don’t want a conventional qawwali. I want a funky qawwali”, she tells the lyricist. This first time filmmaker laying it down to the veteran poet.
”Why does this song need to be a qawwali?”, he asks her.
”Because everyone else is doing bhangras”, she replies without batting an eyelid.
Anu Malik composed the qawwali Tumse milke dil ka for Main Hoon Na (2004), directed by Farah Khan, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. The song was sung by Sonu Nigam, Sabri Brothers (Altaf Sabri, Hashim Sabri), Ravi Khote and Anu Malik. It is filmed on Shah Rukh Khan, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, and Sushmita Sen.
Anu Malik composed this disco qawwali with a fusion of rap and rock. Farah Khan had decided that she wanted a “qawwali song on acid”. She complemented the song track with an even colorful and gaudier set, which added to the visual appeal of the song.
The Sabri Brothers hail from Pakistan and belong to the lineage of singers who are considered to be the greatest Sufi qawwal singers of all time. In the 70s, Ghulam Farid Sabri and Maqbool Ahmad Sabri and their troupe were the first ever qawwali artists to perform in the United States, and the first-ever Asian artists to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Main Hoon Na was a major commercial success at the box office. The soundtrack was the highest selling soundtrack of the year. The film was nominated for 12 Filmfare Awards, practically in each category, winning one award for Anu Malik for Best Music Director.
Sonu Nigam performing the song live in concert.
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Sabri Brothers (Altaf Sabri, Hashim Sabri), Ravi Khote, Anu Malik
*ing: Shah Rukh Khan, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Sushmita Sen
Director: Farah Khan
Film: Main Hoon Na (2004)