Once upon a
time, Bollywood movies had songs which were penned down in Hindi with
smatterings of Urdu. Urdu, a language which is known for its poetry, was liberally
used in between Hindi to provide the listeners with lovely songs that are still
appreciated by Bollywood lovers. A few examples of such songs include "Dil Cheez Kya
Hai" from Umrao Jaan (1981), "Chaudhvi Ka
Chand Ho" from Chaudhvi Ka Chand (1960), "Chalte
Chalte" from Pakeezah (1972) and "Baharon
Phool Barsao" from Suraj (1966). But times have changed,
and lyricists have begun to incorporate various other languages in the
newest generation of songs. We see the addition of not just various
Indian languages, but also some foreign languages as well. In this
edition of Yo Mr. DJ!, BollyCurry highlights a few such famous songs
that have other languages used in them!
"O Re Chori"
from
Lagaan (2001)
English
Sung by Alka
Yagnik,
Udit Narayan, and
Vasundhara Das, "O Re Chori" is the first song
that
comes to mind when thinking of a Hindi song with interspersed English
vocals. With poignant lyrics crooned by the talented Das, "my Heart it
speaks a thousand words, I feel eternal bliss..." , she adds just the
right hint of an English flavor to a
desi song. Lyricist
Javed Akhtar and
composer
A.R. Rahman have blended the English and Hindi lyrics perfectly, making
the song a rather memorable one.
"Kaho Na Kaho"
from
Murder (2004)
Arabic
It should not come as a big surprise that "Kaho Na
Kaho" made it on to the list as this popular song is
quite famous for its catchy Arabic lyrics. Sung by
Amir Jamal, penned by
Sayeed Quadri
and composed by
Anu Malik, the song is actually a Hindi remake of an
Arabic song
sung by Amr Diab, "Tamally Maak". While the Arabic lyrics in the Hindi
song are tough to pronounce, Bollywood lovers did not relax till they
had the lyrics figured
out, making this song one of the chartbusters of 2004!
Bengali
The best
example of Bengali language used in a Hindi song is the remake of the famous "Ami Je Tomar" in
Bhool Bhulaiyaa.
The
song, "Mere Dholna", sung by
Shreya Ghoshal and M.G. Sreekumar,
incorporated the original Bengali lyrics within the chorus of the song.
The lines "Ami je tomar shodu je tomar" was not just used in the song,
but was also used liberally in the movie in the background whenever the
lead characters needed to be taken on a wild goose chase.
The song is composed by Pritam and penned by
Sameer.
Spanish
No Bollywood
fan would forget
Hrithik Roshan,
Farhan Akhtar, and
Abhay Deol dancing
onstage with Spanish ladies while singing "Senorita". Composed by
Shankar Ehsaan
Loy and written by
Javed Akhtar, the song featured Maria Del Mar
Fernandez,
a Spanish flamenco singer, singing the Spanish portions. It was made
even more special by the three
leads of the movie lending their own voices to the song as well.
"Senorita" is
definitely a catchy song with unforgettable vocals.
"Hum Toh Hai Cappuccino"
from Kya Super Kool Hain Hum (2012)
Marathi
The Bollywood fraternity
is mostly based in Mumbai, so it is not surprising that Marathi made its
way
into Hindi songs. Recreating
Shilpa Shetty's hit song, "UP Bihar
Lootne", "Hum Toh Hai Cappuccino"
is the product of composers Meet Bros. Anjjan, lyricist Kumaar, and
singers Sukhwinder
Singh,
Daler Mehndi and Swaroop Khan. Interspersed in the Hindi lyrics
include
Riteish Deshmukh's Marathi lyrics, which he happened to compose
and voice himself! Truly, a proud moment for every Marathi speaker out
there!
Tamil
Chennai Express didn't just paint a rather
beautiful picture of the vibrant Tamil culture, but also gave us a song
intermittent with Tamil lyrics. An interesting fact unbeknownst to many
is that the Tamil portions of the song are actually verses from a poem
written by one of the famed saints of South India in the praise of Lord
Ranganathan, which is another name for Lord Krishna. The song has been
composed by
Vishal-Shekhar, penned by
Amitabh Bhattacharya and sung by Chinmayi
Sripada, Srimathumitha, and Gopi Sunder.
"Photocopy"
from
Jai Ho (2014)
Gujarati
Sung by
Himesh Reshammiya, Keerthi Sagathia, and
Palak Muchhal, this song finally brings
Gujarati to the mix. Composed by Sajid-Wajid and written by Kausar Munir, the song
has made quite an impression on its listeners for its quirky lyrics and peppy
tune!
"Chittiyaan
Kalaiyaan" from
Roy (2015)
Punjabi
When talking about different languages being brought
into Hindi songs,
how can one not draw a light on the Punjabi fusion in Bollywood music?
The current most influential language in Bollywood songs is most
definitely Punjabi, and it almost feels like an album isn't complete
without at least one song with a Punjabi flavor. The latest song to join
the bandwagon of fusion Punjabi-Hindi songs is "Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan".
Sung by Kanika
Kapoor, composed by Meet Bros. Anjjan, and written by Kumaar, the song
is almost entirely in Punjabi. While many of the listeners may not have
understood some the words
used, that does not stop them loving it and singing it!
This concludes our list of some of the popular
songs that have been influenced by
various languages and have become some of the greatest hits of the time.
Obviously,
there are some songs that have been left untouched in this article like
"Jiya
Jale", "Baby Doll Main Sone Di" and many more. But that does not stop
you from
making your own list of the songs that have the influence of
regional/international languages in it. Make a list of your own, and
leave it in the comment box below! We are waiting to hear from you!
Writer:
Kalpana K.C.
Editor (s): Ritchelle C. and Gunia K.
Graphics: Komal
P.
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