Bol! Ye thoda waqt bahut hai: Finding timeless poetry on the contemporary screen
A still from Manto (2018).
The soundtracks of several contemporary Indian films and shows have become an unlikely source of poetry. Srikanth M.V. discovers the relief that this poetry can provide in turbulent times.
Ik Bagal Mein Chand Hoga
Ik Bagal Mein Rotiyan
Ik Bagal Mein Neend Hogi
Ik Bagal Mein Loriyan
With its finesse and laudable portrayal of the contrasting realities of human life, this song—written and sung by renowned Indian film actor, poet and theatre artist Piyush Mishra—appears in Gangs of Wasseypur, Anurag Kashyap’s cult 2012 series of films. It is a sudden burst of poetry amid a world of violence; a sliver of hope that only art can provide.
Art, in its multiple forms, has always had the ability to provide solace to many a wretched heart. In the bleak and chaotic situation that we all have to deal with this year, with so many confined indoors, so many having to deal with a sudden change of lifestyle, perhaps art—and specifically poetry—can provide some relief.
One unlikely source of this poetry has been on India’s ‘silver screen’—film and TV—and especially those that would be classified as ‘alternative’ to the mainstream cinema. Recent films and shows like Manto (2018), the neo-noir Web series Paatal Lok (2020), and comedy-drama Chintu Ka Birthday (2020) have all made use of classical poetry to provide nuance to their characters and stories.
Here is a more detailed exploration of some of these themes that the poems have explored.
“Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain” from Manto (2018)
Manto is a biographical film about the life of renowned Urdu poet Saadat Hasan Manto, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and directed by Nandita Das. The film contains a song called “Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain”, which is originally a poem written by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, a celebrated author and a revolutionary Urdu poet from Pakistan. An excerpt:
Bol! Ye thoda waqt bahut hai
Jism o zaban ki maut se pehle
Bol! Ke sach zinda hai ab tak
Bol! Jo kuch kehna hai keh le.
These lines roughly translate to
Speak! This little time is plenty
Before the death of body and tongue;
Speak! For truth is still alive
Speak! Whatever is to be said.
This poem aptly fits in the film to the nature of Manto, as he strives all his life to uphold the value of truth and justice in the society. The verses possess relevance across the ages, making a call for the truth to be spoken. As the world today continues to fight against racism, casteism, fascism and more such prevailing injustices, this poem by Faiz remains an inspiration. Poems like these make it possible to find a ray of hope in the world while fighting tirelessly for an egalitarian livelihood.
“Sakal Hans Main Ram Viraje” from Paatal Lok (2020)
Paatal Lok, a crime thriller, a Neo-noir Web series spanning over 9 episodes is a brilliant watch, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The series primarily focuses on an investigation of a high-profile assassination attempt, leading to many unprecedented twists and turns throughout the story. Besides being a gripping thriller, the series throws light on some darker social evils existing in the society, and also brings to the foreground many of the root causes of these social evils.
The series finale features the track called “Sakal Hans Mein Ram Viraje”, which contains an excerpt from a doha (a lyrical verse-format) written by a 19th Century Dalit Bhakti Poet, Nanak Das from Saurashtra.
Prem Prem har koi Kahe
Prem Prem har koi Kahe
Na Prem chinhe koi
This poem aptly fits in the film to the nature of Manto, as he strives all his life to uphold the value of truth and justice in the society. The verses possess relevance across the ages, making a call for the truth to be spoken. As the world today continues to fight against racism, casteism, fascism and more such prevailing injustices, this poem by Faiz remains an inspiration.
Roughly, these lines translate to: ‘Everybody talks of love all the time, but nobody recognises the presence of it’. Even though the song has a devotional sense to it, one can find philosophical themes too, especially when applied to the end of a series like Paatal Lok that closely depicts the inhuman treatment of the world towards the discriminated and unprivileged sections of the society.
The series tries to spark a sense of compassion throughout its narrative, giving insights into the lives of criminals and law keepers, all while supported by the pensive tone of its soundtrack. The song “Sakal Hans…” is sung by Prahlad Singh Tipania, a celebrated folk singer from Madhya Pradesh. Tipania’s voice behind this doha exudes tranquility, with a sense of verisimilitude.
“Tikuliya” from Chintu Ka Birthday (2020)
Chintu Ka Birthday is the story of an Indian family, stuck in the war-zone of Iraq. The film tells a tale of fear, while also portraying optimism and intimacy within a family.
The film features the song “Tikuliya”, sung in a traditional Maithili (one of the three main languages spoken in Bihar state) by the Bihar Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). It was re-designed, re-written and composed by Bhupesh Singh for the film. The presence of the regional folk song in this film provides a feeling of belonging, and the nuance of mother’s love. The use of this mother tongue plays a vital role in highlighting the sense of intimate communication with our loved ones.
The song starts while Chintu's family is busy in decorating the house for his birthday party. His mother begins to sing “Koyali Ke Bachua.” while pampering Chintu, who is sitting on her lap. This is one of the many traditional songs/lullabies are passed on through generations in rural households, where mothers or grandmothers often sing their little ones to sleep or pacify them if they sulk. From here, “Tikuliya” serves to spark a mood of reminiscence of one’s childhood.
Moments like these are a reminder that art can truly be a time machine, that a few verses of poetry can move one into a different mind-state of bliss, even if the world around continues to go helter-skelter.
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Srikanth M.V. is a student of Journalism and Mass Communication at EFL University in Shillong. His areas of interest are Music, Poetry, Films and Photography. You can find him on Instagram: @sreekanth_mv.
