Naayaab Naghme

Imagine this scenario. You’re sitting under a tree, enjoying the cool breeze and vibing to Mohit Chauhan’s harmonies and his soothing vocals and just as it comes to a halt, an unfamiliar melody starts echoing in your ears. Being a connoisseur of Bollywood melodies, you’re astonished for being unaware of its existence. You feel as if you came across a precious treasure hidden deep within the Earth. Ah, how beautiful it sounds. A cadence that can startle you from your thoughts and make you wonder why it’s so underrated? Don’t we all have favourite artists and we wonder why so few know of them and recommend them to every person we ever meet? An underrated melody is sadly buried by more popular songs of that time, even if it has the power to stand on equal ground with the greats. In our previous blog, where we celebrated 11-years of ‘My Name is Khan’, we mentioned “Rang De” a song that is often overshadowed by its peers, a hidden gem waiting to be discovered (Go check it out. Is the shameless advertising for clicks? Yes. Yes, it is). This fate is suffered by a large number of songs in Bollywood. It is only natural for a few to be undiscovered and underappreciated in this vast river of Bollywood songs. Through this blog, we hope to revive these sleeping Sirens and give them the spotlight they deserve. Make sure to leave a like on this blog if they shoved their way into your favourites 😉

---

I. Tera Siva

This song is as underrated as it can get. Hailing from the movie Delhi Belly, a satire, it is parodical in nature. Amidst the multitude of the songs this movie hosts, this song is as satirical as it can get, speaking of demise in love. Narrating the story of an unfortunate lover facing the greatest dilemma, they have to think of love as either their saviour or their downfall. Is it affection or an addiction? We were just as surprised as you are now, knowing that such a song exists, a song which speaks of the agony and ambiguity in love rather than the rose-tinted love most Bollywood songs seem to narrate.

---

II. Yun Hi

Yun Hi, a ballad penned by Raj Shekhar, is a song that poetically conveys the importance of consent. It is a song that every lovelorn yet smitten person can relate to. Uncertain of their final destination, this person embarks on a long journey, one that can either lead them to the heights of ecstasy or to the depths of hell. The poet is aware that they have given the other person authority over their heart and placed them on a pedestal of divinity, hoping and waiting for their ‘yes’. They would even be satisfied with an indifferent ‘yes’ preferring to rather trick themselves than shatter their hopes. If we have to name our favourite line from this gem of a song, it is when the poet expresses his desire to offer everything, all their belongings to their lover, but is still held back by fear as a certain question plagues his mind: "Kyun laaye ho ye Yun hi?" (Why have you brought this randomly?)

---

III. Saawali Si Raat

Swanand Kirkire, a songwriter who has penned phrases like “maine dukh se seekha hai, khud se khush rehna” (It is sorrow that taught me how to be happy by myself). Lines like these resonate with our hearts. This song offers serenity along with the melody of a soothing lullaby. ‘Barfi!’, an album which affected our hearts as much as it did the box office, hosts songs that can be called masterpieces. Hidden beneath the other more, popular songs, this kohinoor was always underappreciated. Speaking of simplicity in silences, this song magnificently conveys a simplicity unmatched by words. It envokes the solace you feel when you’re gazing at the starts silently, accompanied by silent melodies of the insects chirping in the background. It conveys the beauty of a silent conversation that took place through one’s eyes and expressions. It is something that is truly simple yet transcendent: “ankahee si guftugu, ansuni si justuju” (Unsaid conversations, unheard desires).

---

IV. Bezubaan

Bezubaan refers to the feeling you get when you’re so overwhelmed by everything happening around you and, you’re unable to do anything except silently reflect. That is the moment you realize that life is not perfect and it is completely fine to make mistakes. The important lesson this song conveys is the courage to muster up enough confidence to accept those mistakes and rise above them. As the song says “Ab ghaltiyan jo maan li to theek hai Kamzoriyon ko jo maat di to theek hai” (Now that we know our mistakes and have defeated our weaknesses, we are okay). There are times when one loses themselves and needs to cling to everything familiar to them, in an attempt to seek comfort. Bezubaan calls out to you in those moments and urges you to live life in all its glory while at the same time conveying that it is okay to take a break and breathe.

---

V. Ay Hairathe

Ay Hairathe is a song adapted from the 13th-century poem, Amir Khusro’s “Ay Sarbathe Aashiqui” by Gulzar Saheb, Ay Hairathe Aashiqui is sung by two of the best Indian playback singers (active to this day) - Hariharan and Alka Yagnik. The song conveys the feeling of being soaked in honey during the first few days of love, a period where everything seems pure and pristine. In simpler terms, the honeymoon phase (or the calm before the storm, as we like to call it). This song puts a smile on your face, making you reminisce back on the days of your first love, a time where you saw the whole world in bright, colourful, ‘Karan Johar’ colours. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the existence of this song for it was dwarfed by other songs in Guru’s album- superhits like Barso Re, Tere Bina, etc. Maybe, that’s one fault one can find with A. R. Rahman. He manages to bring to life so many beautiful songs in just one album- we don’t even get to give them the appreciation that they deserve.

---

How many of these gems were you able to identify? We hope you add these gems to your endless list of song recommendations. These songs can also be found on our playlist, so you can just head there to give them a listen. As always, thanks for reading and look forward to our next blog on Thursday.

Link to the playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zUEdfzh8PkMAoFR1tOZJ2?si=CvpLuHtsR9COdoz9EaA3TA

Content writers: Bilal Khan; Needhi Singh; Shamatmika Rathore.

Editor: Adithi M. Kashyap

Graphic design and Video Editing: Alwin Joe Varghese; Khushi Sharma