Yesterday, when the subzi wala didn’t seem quite keen on giving me back my precious 2 Rs (leftover from the 100 bucks that I had given him for a week’s supply of lauki and karela), I almost blurted out -
“SADDA HAQ!!! AITTHEY RAKH!!”
Yeah... that’s the effect of rock music on middle class bachelors like me. We actually connect with the songs. And then’s when I realized how much potential this Mohit Chauhan number composed by A R Rahman had to become the next national anthem.
The music album itself marks the return of Rahman (to the Indian music scene, I know he has done some Angreji shit... purists kindly excuse), whom I remember last for belting out hits like “Khelo... Jeeto... Padho... Likhoo” for the common man (thats the common man for you. Toiling away so that it can all be taken away by Messrs. like Kalmadi and Raja) and “Come on Liva, baari tumhaari hae” for the Toyota hatchback. Sadly enough neither did the first one lift the Indian CWG medal tally, nor did the second one do likewise for Toyota balance sheets and P&L Accounts.
But this time, I tell you – Rahman has really upped the ante: he has created the ultimate, alpha male/beta female of songs. Something which everyone can connect to, regardless of caste/creed/bank balance/race/sexuality/age/IQ level. Look at the below characters and situations, and you will find yourself appreciating the ingenuity of the writer as much as I did.
· They start pretty high up, appeasing Aliens – yes, those little Martians and Venetians who might just land on your porch ruining your kitchen garden and morning tea.
Tum logon ki, iss duniya mein
Har kadam pe, insaan galat
(aur aliens sahi)
· Frustated PHD Students wailing in front of their guides, come next.
Main sahi samajh ke jo bhi karoon
Tum kehte ho galath
(Damn that Doctorate – it’s gonna take a while till these poor people resolve their personal conflicts)
· The hoi-polloi of the society/the upper strata of middle class India come a close third – Mohit Chauhan belts the next line specifically about those IIT/IIM Grads who have just got the first draft of their Business plan rejected by their mentors, and are quite indignant about it.
main galath hoon.... (shocking and unbelievable denial...)
toh phir kaun sahi (which quickly turns to indignation)
(IIPM/UPTU waale?? WTF!)
· The rebellious teenage girl who has just been refused permission for a late night party.
Marzi se jeene ki bhi main
Kya tum sabko... main arzi doon
· Ramu Kaka, our ubiquitious servant who has just been given 50 clothes to wash and 20 pairs of shoes to polish effectively ruining is chance for an evening out with Basanti who washes dishes next door.
Matlab ki tum sabka mujhpe
Mujhse bhi zyada haq hai
· The chronic alcoholic/drug addict fed up with long queues outside the thekas and the refusal of the theka owner to consider Credit card EMIs as an option for a bottle of Royal Stag gets an honourable mention, with the longest stanza.
Hey!
Inn qataaron mein ya udhaaron mein
Tum mere jeenay ki aadat ka kyun ghot rahey dum !
(Ek pauwwa de de na bhai ! Pakka agle hafte paise dedunga)
Be salika main, uss gali ka main
Na jis mein haya, na jis mein sharam
Mann bole ke ras mein jeenay ka harjaana duniya dushman
(Now this was easy to guess – he refers to those alcoholics who belong to the same gali where you go with a phoolmaala in your gala to watch Phoolbai croon a senti ghazal)
Sab begaana inhe aag lagaana
Mann bole mann bole, mann se jeena ya marr jaana !
(sMyriad emotions which cloud your mind when Phoolbai refuses your romantic advances, and her musclemen throw you out minus your wallet)
· The Gujjar samaaj, agitating over being denied SC/ST status and its benefits.
Rewaazon se samaajon se
Kyun.....?
Tu kaate mujhe
Kyu baate mujhe iss tarah
· And finally, the B-school student fighting with his Professor for a better grade.
Kyu sach ka sabak sikhaaye
Jab sach sunn bhi naa paaye
Sach koi bole to niyam kanoon bataye
(The Professor remarks: Relative Grading hai betey, to which the exasperated student retorts)
Tera darr, Tera pyaar, teri wah
Tu hi rakh ..
(And turning to the A-grader)
rakh saaley !!!
So, here we finish. The song will work pretty well because, it’s an all-inclusive rant (unlike the non-inclusive Annual budget of the Indian Government) about all things that people find unfair. And I haven’t even mentioned the people/situations where only the Title line is enough - for example:
§ Young Men supporting Anna Hazare and dissing the Government
§ Young Men feigning support to Anna Hazare and dissing the Government with the hope to score some chicks in the India Against Corruption weekend get together
§ Young Girls supporting Anna Hazare because White Suits are back in fashion
§ Employees to their Project Manager, during appraisal time
§ Project Managers to their Employee, at all other times (pointing to incomplete documents)
§ Cute 2nd Standard kids to their lovey-dovey parents, demanding an ice-cream
§ The same kids, 15 years later, demanding an Audi
§ Men like Aftab Shivdasani in Masti, who are not getting some...
§ And umpteen others. Whenever you face such a situation, clear your throat, and simply scream at the top of your voice -
SADDA HAQ – Aithhey/Utthey/Kahin to RAKHH!!
Rakh Saaley.
And things should take care of themselves.
PS - Kindly wait till I decode that ‘Ya Ya Ya’ number :-)
