High on Highway
This is an attempt to understand movies through its songs…
Highway is one such movie whose songs are seamlessly integrated with the story line and take it forward. Rather the song adds a new dimension to it…
Highway leading characters are two strangers Veera and Mahabir coming from different walks of life brought together completely because of their own decisions.
Veera is in distress, feeling suffocated with her upcoming wedding, facing dilemmas in her personal life, she has been abducted few days before her wedding and is taken to Salt Pan Desert. She tries to run away from her abductors leading to being lost in the desert wilderness. She does not know where she is and wants to return to safety of her home or does she? She is crying out desperately for help to God asking him where is he and where is she…Tu Kuja Man Kuja…Tu Kahaan Mai Kahaan…the song lyrics remind me of O Paalanhaare from Lagaan..The music is soulful with Sunidhi rendering it really well though I would personally have loved ARR singing it. But considering the main protagonist is a girl maybe they chose a female singer for the song. I didn’t appreciate the song initially but when I heard it on the headphones the song gradually grew over and now has stuck in my head, it has excellent electronic arrangement. When you think about the situation, the lyrics, the music and the voice all fall in a harmony.
Tu Kuja Mann Kuja, Tu Kuja Mann Kuja , Tu Kahan, Main Kahan, Tu Kahan, Main Kahan
Kripa Drishti Mujhpe Bhi Ho Maharaja, Anginat Chintao ne ghera
Aastha Hai, Jo Vyatha Hai, Woh Harega Tu, Sun Meri Bhi, Koi Na Mera
Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kahan, Main Kahan… Tu Kahan, Main Kahan
Hai Bhay Bhayankar, Path Mein Kankar, Maharaja, Mujh Adham Se Kyun Tune Mukh phera
Main Dharatal Se Pukaru, Haath De Apna , Sun Meri Bhi, Koi Na Mera, Nirdhano Ka Dheer Tu Hai, Nirbalo Ka Bal,
Sun Meri Bhi Koi Na Mera, Main Jagat Mein Laaptaa, Mera Tu Pata, Main Kahan, Batlaa?
Main Ekaaki, De Daya Ki Bheekh Raja, Hain adhar Mein, Shwaas Bhi Mera, Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja..
Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kahan, Main Kahan… Tu Kahan, Main Kahan
Mai Kahaan Kahaan… Mai Kahaan Kahaan…
Ghanghor Hai Andhiyare…Sab Roothe Hai Ujiyare, Tan Toote, Mann Hare… Tan Toote, Mann Hare…
Kismet Ke Doobe Tare…Koi Kiran Dikhla Re…Hai Soone Path Sare… Hai Soone Path Sare
Main Ekaaki, De Daya Ki Bheekh Raja, Kya Tujhe Aabhas Bhi Mera
Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kuja, Mann Kuja… Tu Kahan, Main Kahan… Tu Kahan….
Here-on Veera decides to stick with the abductors. She prefers their captivity to the one she feels she will encounter when she is back home.
Veera shares the darkest secret of her life with her abductor. On her highway journey she finds a freedom she has not experienced in a long time…her lost innocence returns. She feels liberated, she starts mingling around with her abductors, she climbs trees, lies on highways, runs in fields, falls down but still finds it funny ,she starts enjoying the journey fate has put her in, she is like a kite who has left her ropes in the hands of fate or God and free to fly , is not worried of what is going to come her way , what will the world think, she now knows it is worthless to ponder over what will the world think…and at the right moment kicks in Pataka Guddi number. The claps in the songs to the lyrics, from the flute to the voices of Nooran sisters, from the humming by ARR to the bindass acting by Alia…the song makes you feel liberated.
The second version of the song sung by ARR is worth applauding. The beautiful harmonium and classical touch, ARR croons and how well with Ali Ali, the new stanza, the sudden change of beats to rock, the smooth comeback to the original tune at the start of the song and just when you think the song is about to end you realize its nowhere near it J.. The one person apart from ARR I would have loved instead to hear in this song is Sukhvinder Singh.
Haan, Mitthe paan di galauri, Lathha suit da Lahori,
Fatte maar di billori, Jugni mel mel ke, kood faand ke,
Chauk chakaute jaayein..
Maula tera maali, O hariyaali jungle waali,
Tu de har gaali pe taali, Uski kadam kadam rakhwaali,
Ainweyi lok-laaj ki soch soch ke kyun hai aafat daali,
Tu le naam rab da, naam saai ka….Ali Ali Ali Ali ….Ali Ali Ali Ali
Sharf khuda ka, zarf khuda ka, Ali Ali Ali Ali
Ali ho, Ali ho, Chali aur chali, chali, chali oo, Ali Ali, teri gully, woh to chali, Ali Ali…Teri gully, chali oo..
O Jugni oh, patakha guddi oh, Nashe mein udd jaaye re haaye re
Sajje khabbe dhabbe killi ho,
Maine to tere tere, te chhaddiyan doriyaan,
Tu toh paak rab da baanka bachha , Raj dulara tu hi, paak rab da baanka bachha , Uska pyaara tu hi
Maalik ne jo chinta di to, door karega woh hi
Naam Ali ka le ke tu toh, naach le gully gully
Le naam Ali Ali, Ali ho, Ali ho,
Tu le naam rab da, naam saai ka, Ali Ali Ali Ali…Ali Ali Ali Ali
Jugni rukh beparda hoi, Jis nu pooje ta har koi,
Jisdi fasal kisi na boyi, Ghar bhi rakh sake na koi..
Rasta naap rahi marjaani, Bhatti baarish da hai paani,
Jab nazdeek jahaan de aani, Jugni maili si ho jaani..
Tu le naam rab da Ali Ali, Chal khalle rann chali,
Naam rab da Ali Ali, Har darwaja Ali,
Sai re… Sai Re.. Maine to tere tere, te chhaddiyan doriyaan
Veera sees that abductor is sad in some way and wants to know the pain he has been through and in kicks in a lori which makes you want to become a kid again and hold on to your mother ‘s pallu while she is trying to put you to sleep…ARR using Alia ‘s voice in the song ‘s second stanza gives it an innocence which is so much required for the storyline to move ahead…the beautiful humming by her in the start, Zeb singing in continued stanzas, Alia ‘s innocent voice asking the abductor what he is unable to share, why is he crying in silence, what is he angry about and that he should open up and tell her whatever he has in his heart by opening the path to talk with each other…
Mostly one says such words only to someone they have a special bond with …
Toota… taara sa …Chhota sa, taara sa… toota re…
Poochhe wo dekhun teri baari
Kyun na soye, kyun tu roye
Kyun tu khoye yoon pardes mein ho…
Kyun tu rootha, kis se rootha
Kya hai chhoota tera des mein ho…
Jo bhi hai rookha-sookha
Mann mein wo bolo toh
Kholon raahein baaton ki, baahein ho…
The abductor Mahabir later tells in a sequence with his aids of how the feudal system and an abusive husband exploited his mother, how he went through this through his childhood and his running away from home to escape from it…the only thing he remembers from his childhood is his mother singing him the lori…
The sharing of experiences makes Veera all the more comfortable. She breaks into impromptu dance on the highway with her abductor‘s aid joining in…this one is Mash up….shout it out loud number…this one also has reminisces of the Robo toy song from movie Robot…it’s fun, foot taping and more than Alia the abductor ‘s aid doing a bhangra on the song is fun to watch…
Veera and the abductor (Mahabir) develop a bond…one that cannot be termed as lovers but two folks who seek solace in each other‘s company due to the circumstances they have faced in their lives and they embark upon a journey to take them away from the pains. Veera on a self-exploration journey and Mahabir helping her explore herself. Veera starts questioning where she is on this new journey?….
Kahaan hoon main…Kahaan hoon main ab..
Aahein, darr, khushi, raaste…Kachchi baatein, sachche vaaste
Kahin pe in sab mein….Kahaan hoon.. main ?
Maine bhi to aana tha isi taraf…Meri bhi to raahein hain yahin kahin
Uljhanon ke doraahe….Raaston ki ye baahein
Aate-jaate poochhti..Main kahaan..?
Ooni ooni baadal mein gayi simat…Jaise main hoon jaadon ki hawaa koi
Sochoon na kya peechhe hai….Dekhoon na jo aage hai
Mann ye mera poochhta..Main kahaan..
Kahaan hoon main….Kahaan hoon main ab
Yaadein ab zameen, khwahishein.. Pakki chaahat, kachchi koshishein…
Kahin pe in sab mein …Kahaan hoo..oo..oon main..
Jonita brings a certain sincerity to the song perfectly painting the picture of a girl travelling to a new world, lost in her thoughts, clueless about how it will be and yet eager to discover it…
Veera and Mahabir find each other in their journey across six states…but this is Veera‘s journey and not Mahabir‘s…
His encounter by the army leaves Veera shattered and in a shell, but the journey has made her strong enough to confront her family and their values…she decides to break away from the shackles of so called high standards society and decides to live on her own the way she envisions her life…
She leaves her home and travels to a hilly place where she finds work in a factory…she misses Mahabir but also knows that somewhere he and she both are at peace with themselves and are with each other…
Track Heera leaves one with the assurance that Veera is in fact a Heera who no one recognized…she has stood the testing times in her life, she has shared her true self with people who are worth sharing it and that like a true johri she is able to find the gems though they have not seemed so good due to the dirt surrounding them….
Shweta Pandit has sung it so well giving it deserving luster with ARR and Irshad providing the song 5Cs of the diamond 🙂
Heera soi saraahiye…Sahe ghanan ki chot…Kapat kurangee maanva…Parkhat nikra khot
Heera tahaan na kholiye…Jahaan kunjadon ki haat….Sahaj gaanthri maari ke …Lage apni baat
Heera para bajaar mein…Raha chhaar laptaaye…keetehi moorakh pachhe mohe…Koi Parakhi Liya Uthaaye
Last and definitely not the least is the Maahi Ve number. She is happy that finally she and Mahabir both are at peace and with each other. In a way she is telling Mahabir or maybe even GOD that he is in all the situations she is in…He is the one pestering her, cajoling her, making her cry and laugh…he is in her secrets in her today and tomorrow, he is her address, whoever finds her will find him. The life she is experiencing or not; is because of him only. Lyrics like “Meri Khamoshiyon mein hai tu bolata” take the song to another level.
Don’t forget to enjoy the claps. They return in both versions of Pataka Guddi…the violins end the song simply beautifully…though making one feel like it shouldn’t…
Dhoop paani pe baras jaaye…Ye saaye banaaye, mitaaye
Main kahoon, aur tu aa jaaye, behlaaye…Har doori sharmaaye…
Tu saath hai, ho din raat hai…Parchhaaiyan batlaaye
Tu saath hai, o din raat hai….
Saaya saaya, maahi ve! maahi ve!
Meri har baat mein saath tu hai…
Mahi Ve.. Maahi Ve..Mere saare haalaat tu….
Maahi ve aye aye ye.. o..Maahi vay aye aye ye.. o..Haaye sataaye, manaaye, sataaye…
Tu.. rulaaye, hansaaye.. bhi tu hi…Humsaaye.. har doori sharmaaye….
Tu saath hai, ho din raat hai…
Parchhaaiyan batlaaye
Tu saath hai, o din raat hai….Saaya saaya, maahi ve! maahi ve!
Mere sab raaz, kal-aaj, tu hai….
Maahi ve.. maahi vay…..Meri har udaan ek tuMaahi ve aye aye ye.. o..Maahi vay aye aye ye…. o…Ye jeena bhi, naa jeena bhi….Hai dono ka tum se hi vaasta
O.. main hi to hoon tera pataa….Hai doosra naa koi raasta
Aaye mujh tak wo tum ko jo ho dhoondhta….
Meri khaamoshiyon mein hai tu bolta
Ye jeena bhi, naa jeena bhi…Jo bhi hua hai wo tum se hua…
The Implosive Silence track plays during the start of the movie and intermittently…There is just crooning and awesome music by ARR…
The track took me to another world …the one I recently experienced while travelling through the Munros of Scotland with the journey ending at the foot of Ben Nevis the tallest mountain in Scotland…
Listen to the track…Close your eyes and imagine a drive through high snow clad mountains whizzing past by…telling stories of love, anger, wars, peace, being together. Being alone.
This one definitely makes one realize silence can be devastating and soothing at the same time…