Chhaayaageet #252 - "Pataa nahin ye gaana rakhenge ya nahin."
We don't know if we'll keep this song.
The director and producer have a different style of working on their film. There is a general structure of the story of the film. As the team sits down to write the script, they invite the lyricist and music composer to also write and compose the songs at the same time.
It is very important to establish the language of the film and also incorporate it into the songs. That’s the logic of working on the songs in parallel with the script. To the filmmaker the songs are just an extension of the film.
The director and producer have a brief for the lyricist for one of the songs. It’s a song about a friend, the hero. The hero will not yet have made an appearance on the screen. The emotional arc of the film also will not yet have been established. None of the characters will have been established yet. But this has to be an emotional song about a friend.
The lyricist racks his brains. He thinks back to all his mentors and friends. He imagines this as a comparison song, to highlight how the friend is different and stands out.
After a few days the lyricist is happy with his words for the “friend song”. The composer starts working on the tune. He composes this in the low and high range. As the other songs are being worked on along with the script, they audition six singers for the “friend song”. However, none of the voices pan out.
They wonder if they might have to shelve this song if they don’t find a good voice for it. It is a background song, so it won’t hurt the film if they have to shelve it.
Today a different song is being recorded in the studio. It is a song with the three friends fooling around on the college campus. It will be a male duet with two of the leading singers. One of the singers is in the studio to record his portions of the song.
The singer is a little worried about how this recording might go. He is suffering from some nodule growth inside his throat that is randomly affecting his singing. His voice might start to break and his throat might start scratching randomly. Thankfully, none of that happens today. As the singer comes out of the recording studio, he is relieved that this recording went over without a hitch.
The composer turns to him and says, “Ye ek part hai doosre gaane ka. Pataa nahin yeh gaana rakhenge ya nahin rakhenge. Isko zara gaa ke dekh na.” This is the stanza of another song. We don’t know if we’ll keep this song. Just try singing this.
It is the “friend song”. The composer tells him the tune and how to sing it and asks him to sing the low range.
The singer rehearses for a bit and sings it. His throat doesn’t throw any tantrums.
The singer is curious about the high range of the song. He asks, “Iska kya hoga?” What about this?
The composer replies, “Thoda high notes hain. Woh ek baul type ka hai. Teen chaar singers se gawayenge.” There are a few high notes. They are similar to the baul style of song. We might get this sung from three or four singers.
The composer doesn’t reveal that he has reserved those high notes for himself to sing. So he is a bit vague forthcoming with the details.
Meanwhile the director has been listening in on this interaction. He has heard the singer sing a few lines in the low range.
The director asks the singer, “Arre woh upar wala bhi kar de.” Go ahead and sing the high range.
The singer looks at the composer, silently just raising his eyebrows as if to say, “Kya karun? Gaaun?” What should I do? Should I sing?
The composer has no choice. He nods and mutters under his breath. “Haan ab bol rahe hain to kar de abhi mein kya karun.” Yes since he is saying go ahead, what can I do.
The singer sings the high range of the song. The filmmaker likes it a lot.
The singer realizes there is some humming in the song. He asks, “Humming bhi kar doon?” Should I do the humming as well?
The exasperated composer jokingly complains, “Arre yaar kuch to rakh de mere liye. Tu aa ke pura gaana ga raha hai.” My friend keep at least something for me. You are now singing the whole song.
The director and composer are happy that on the seventh attempt they finally find a voice for the “friend song”. The singer is happy to get to sing another song in the film, but he doesn’t have any high hopes from this song. After all it is in the background. The main hero isn’t on the screen for this song. It is mostly the other characters singing for their hero friend.
The singer has his hopes pinned on the first song he recorded, the one that is a male duet and filmed on the college campus on main hero and his friends. It is a high-energy fun song that will feature the main hero. The singer knows this will be the super-hit song of the film.
After the script is finally ready and the songs are all composed and recorded, the music CD is sent around for people to listen to. The singer is disappointed that his portions of the college campus song have been cut. Now he is only just part of the chorus, while the other male singer has the entire song to himself.
The singer complains to the composer, “Yaar dada kya kar diya yaar. Mera to kuch hai hi nahin is gaane mein. Aur mere ko aisa gaana de diya ekdum background wala. Aur masti wala campus wala gaana chala gaya.” My friend, there’s nothing of me in this song. And you have given me a song that will be played in the background. And I lost the fun campus song.
The composer assures the singer, “Tu ruk. Film aayegi phir dekhna tere gaane ka impact kya hoga.” You wait. When the film comes you will see the impact of your song.
The singer doesn’t believe it. He continues to share his displeasure, “Kya aap bhi mera dil rakhne ke liye bol rahe ho.” You are just saying this to pacify me.
Little did the singer know that his background song would become a massive hit.
Shaan sang Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh in the film 3 Idiots (2009), directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, music by Shantanu Moitra, and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire.
The song is filmed as a background track on the characters of R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, and Omi Vaidya, as they drive in search of their friend played by Aamir Khan as the hero of the film.
3 Idiots was released to widespread critical acclaim. It is considered to be among the greatest Indian films ever made.
All the songs became extremely popular and continue to be to this day. Swanand Kirkire wrote them with the inspiration of college days and to appeal to the youth.
Shaan had recorded his portion of the song Aal Izz Well, when that song was envisioned as all three friends singing equal parts in the song. However, it was changed to be primarily a song for Aamir Khan, with Madhavan and Sharman Joshi’s characters providing chorus. As a result, Shaan’s portions of this song were edited out.
Shaan later found out that the nodule growth in his throat did not affect him when he sang the low and high ranges of notes. The song Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh coincidentally alternated in the low and high range.
3 Idiots won Filmfare Awards in many categories: Best Film (Vidhu Vinod Chopra), Best Director (Rajkumar Hirani), Best Dialogue and Best Story (Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani), Best Screenplay (Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra), Best Supporting Actor (Boman Irani won, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi also nominated), Best Actor (Aamir Khan), Best Actress (Kareena Kapoor), Best Playback Singer - Female (Shreya Ghoshal for Zoobi Doobi).
Shaan performing Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh live in concert in London.
Singer: Shaan, Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Music: Shantanu Moitra
*ing: R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Omi Vaidya
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Film: 3 Idiots (2009)