Gangs of Wasseypur

Now that Anurag Kashyap’s ambitious ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ is a bonafide hit (Is it, or am I misinformed?), can I ask someone what does ‘Keh Ke Loonga’ actually mean?

My friend from UP tells me: It means a challenge, a threat, which can be sexual in nature, but not always. It means an open challenge — I will deal with it, do whatever you want to do. Literally, “I tell you that I’ll “beat” you up, and I’ll.” (you can add your preferred kind of action instead of ‘beating up’.)

Anyway, I want to see the film, but, cannot find anyone to accompany me to the theatre. Everyone is frightened by its publicised length, not the violence. And I wonder what happened to those good ol’ days when every Hindi movie was more than three hours long (Remember ‘Mohabbatein’?)

Meanwhile, I love the soundtrack, though I cannot go gung ho about it. Talking about Anurag Kashyap films, I still absolutely love the soundtrack of ‘Gulaal’, no comparisons, no competitions, not even the brilliant soundtrack of ‘Dev D.’ (Remember how they squeezed all the juice from the catch phrase ‘emotional atyachar’ from the record-breaking number.)

Anyway, I love the ‘O wamaniya’ song, the Live one, not the fusion one. There’s something very unrestrained flavour to it, which I just cannot figure out. I also love the ‘Keh ke loonga,’ and ‘Jiya ho bihar ke lala’.

But, the song I like most is of course, ‘Ik bagal’, again, sung by Piyush Mishra from his own lyrics (it was he who made the soundtrack of ‘Gulaal’ so memorable!)

The following is a brief translation of the song, below is the original.

(Tail Piece: Talking about Sneha Khanwalkar and how she has created a fearless soundtrack (fearless in the sense that it doesn’t want to please its listeners, but make them sit and listen, and if you don’t want to, get lost!), I was thinking of other women music directors in Bollywood, and I couldn’t come up with any names, other than Usha Khanna. Seriously!?)

[A detailed review of the soundtrack here.]

>>>>>>>
On One Side

On one side would be the moon
On the other rotis.

On one side would be sleep
On the other lullabies.

We on the moon...
Will lie down wrapping ourselves
With blankets made of rotis
And will
Tell sleep come tomorrow
To sing the lullabies...

On one side would be sleep
On the other lullabies.

>>>>
Ik Bagal
Music: Sneha Khanwalkar
Lyricist: Piyush Mishra
Singer(s): Piyush Mishra
Song Duration (mm:ss): 05:28

Ik bagal mein chand hoga
Ik bagal mein rotiyan

Ik bagal mein neend hogi
Ik bagal mein loriyan
Hum chand pe…
Hum chand pe
Roti ki chadar daal ke
So jayenge
Aur neend se……
Aur neend se keh denge
Lori kal sunaane aayenge
Aur neend se
Aur neend se keh denge
Lori kal sunaane aayenge

Ik bagal mein chand hoga
Ik bagal mein rotiyan (repeat once more)

Ik bagal mein neend hogi
Ik bagal mein loriyan
Hum chand pe…
Hum chand pe
Roti ki chadar daal ke
So jayenge
Aur neend se……
Aur neend se keh denge
Lori kal sunaane aayenge
Aur neend se
Aur neend se keh denge
Lori kal sunaane aayenge

Ek bagal mein khankhanati
Seepiyan ho jayengi
Ek bagal mein kuch rulati
Siskiyan ho jayengi
Hum seepiyon mein…..
Hum seepiyon mein bhar ke sare
Taare chhoo ke aayenge
Aur siskiyon ko……
Aur siskiyon ko
Gudgudee kar kar ke yun behlayenge
Aur siskiyon ko
Gudgudee kar kar ke yun behlayenge

Hum andheri, sikiyon pe
Koi rone… aayega
Kohi rone aayega…
Hum nagar jo aayega wo
Phir kabhi na.. jaayega
Wo phor kabhi na jaayega..

Yaad rakh par koi anhoni
Nahi tu laayegi
Laayegi toh phir kahaani
Aur kuch ho jayegi

Yaad rakh par koi anhoni
Nahi tu laayegi
Laayegi toh phir kahaani
Aur kuch ho jayegi

Honi aur anhoni ki
parvaah kisse hai meri jaan
Had se zyada yehi hoga
Ki yahin mar jayenge
Hum maut ko…..
Hum maut ko sapna bata kar
Mut khadi honge yahin…

Aur honi ko…..
Aur honi ko thenga dikha kar
Khilkhila kar jayenge...