Chhaayaageet #83 - "Kya pakau gaana hai yaar"
The scriptwriter picks up the newspaper with his morning tea. A blink-and-you miss article catches his eye. How can a news story of national importance be obscured in such a small article? It fascinates him. He wants to know more about the people mentioned in the article. He starts researching, visiting places and people, conducting interviews. This becomes his side project. In due course of time he assembles a thick file, all starting from that short news article. At first he decides to write a book. Then he thinks it could become a documentary. Ultimately he realizes it could be a film.
But there are projects on hand that need to be finished. After finishing the script for a film, the filmmaker asks him, "So, what next?" That's when he mentions his side project. He talks non stop for half an hour. After listening to him, the filmmaker says, "Stop everything else, and start working on this film. I want to do this."
The story takes shape. There are too many issues that the story tries to deal with in two and a half hours - gender bias, racism, regionalism, religion, government bureaucracy, patriotism. Is there any issue left out that doesn't touch some spectrum of the Indian film audience? Everything sounds cliched. But the filmmaker has faith in the script.
The team is assembled, director, music composers, and over the next six months the star cast is finalized. The music composers get a script reading. They are a young duo who have been doing background scores for the filmmaker's hit films. The title track is going to set the tone of the film. They get to work on it.
They come up with a tune with a patriotic fervor, something that reflects the theme and emotions of the film. They have a sitting with the filmmaker.
"Kya pakau gaana hai yaar", the filmmaker isn't impressed. Such a boring song, man. They need to do better. He needs zabardast energetic song.
Back to the drawing board. This time the composers come up with a high energy track. It feels like a zabardasti song instead of a zabardast song. It lacks soul. The composers themselves are not too thrilled with it.
One after another, seven tunes are rejected, some by the filmmaker, some by the composers. After the seventh rejection, the filmmaker provides a tip.
"'Jumma Chumma' tune suna hai kya? Yaar mujhe 'Jumma Chumma' de do", Have you heard the tune of 'Jumma Chumma'? Man, just give me 'Jumma Chumma'.
He then proceeds to sing the title of the film in the tune of 'Jumma Chumma'. "I want this energy. I want this excitement. I want this celebration", he tells them.
The composers are confused and despirited. Ok, fine, whatever. Something with the energy of 'Jumma Chumma'. Back again to the drawing board.
"Yaar ye film chhod dete hain. Seven rejections is too much for me", one day one of the composers shares with the other. They have worked too hard on all the tunes, and they'd rather leave the film than continue with it and not do justice to it.
"Kuch karte hain yaar, kuch karte hain", the other provides some reassurance. Let's do something, man. Let's do something.
Something clicks. They call the scriptwriter and ask him to riff on the words "Kuch karte hain". Lo and behold the lyrics and the music emerge, and the song makes itself. It becomes an anthem.
Salim-Sulaiman composed the title song and music for Chak De! India (2007), directed by Shimit Amin, story and script by Jaideep Sahni. Sahni also wrote the lyrics of the title song. Sukhwinder Singh provided the background playback along with Salim Merchant and Marianne D'Cruz.
Sahni saw a small article about the Indian women's hockey team winning the 2002 Commonwealth Games and was inspired by it. He felt that the story of the women's team's victory needed to be told. After Sahni completed work on the script of Bunty Aur Babli, he mentioned this story to Aditya Chopra, who was immediately sold on this concept and decided to produce the film under the YRF banner. He said to Shimit Amin, "India has a national anthem, but does not have a sports anthem. Give me a sports anthem. It must be played in every arena and for every sport that India plays."
Salim-Sulaiman had been doing award winning background scores for YRF productions such as Dhoom. They were brought in to compose the music for the film. The title track immediately became the sports anthem of India. The timing worked perfectly as Chak De! India was released just one month before the inaugural T20 World Cup South Africa, which the men in blue won. Aditya Chopra's vision had come true.
The sports anthem played at an India vs Pakistan cricket match.
Salim-Sulaiman performing the song at their live show, paying a tribute to Indian armed forces, with the audience standing in respect.
Music: Salim-Sulaiman
Singer: Sukhwinder Singh
Lyrics: Jaideep Sahni
*ing: Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Shilpa Shukla, Nichola Sequeira, Sagarika Ghatge, Chitrashi Rawat, Tanya Abrol, Shubhi Mehta, Sandia Furtado, Anaitha Nair, Arya Menon, Kimi Laldawla, Masochon Zimik, Kimberly Miranda, Seema Azmi, Nisha Nair, Raynia Mascarenhas
Director: Shimit Amin
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Film: Chak De! India