Tu Baat Karein Ya Na Mujh Se

 Tu Baat Karein Ya Na Mujh Se

 

This song from Yashraj's Salman-Anushka starrer “Sultan” stuck with me for a while. Sung by Papon, Lyrics of the song are by Irshad Kamil and music by Vishal-Shekhar. 

The song is about love and devotion of the main character to his wife. The song makes reference to Bulleh Shah's poetry and spiritual teachings, as a way to express the deep emotions and longing of the characters in the film.

So who is Bulleh Shah?

His real name was Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri. He was popularly known as Baba Bulleh Shah and Bulleya. He was a 17th-century Punjabi revolutionary philosopher, reformist and Sufi poet, regarded as the "Poet of the People".

He said he was willing to go to any extent to please his Lord- even willing to dress up as a woman and dance to show his love to his God. Sufism equates love for the beloved at the same level a person loves his God. Love is equal to divinity.

Coming back to the film. Sultan played by Salman gets pulled into the whirlpool of arrogance and self obsession. His wife Arfa drifts away from him. The song (and Bulleya) comes at a point in time where all is lost and Sultan’s only hope left in life is to win a Mixed Martial arts championship in Delhi. Bulleya becomes the pivot that is the last contact with his wife Aarfa and also the last chance to seek her forgiveness before risking his life in the competition.

The song starts with a prologue sans any music. The vocals while lamenting their separation, philosphises it. Drawing analogies with salt as that magic ingredient that livens up food taste, he says, “Some relationships are livened up by having distance. And so staying apart is important”.

He understands that he has to mend ways and believes the distance between them is the salt that becomes the catalyst for change. It is the separation that charges him to amend his life and take efforts to reconcile with his beloved and himself.

 

कुछ रिश्तों का नमक ही दूरी होता है
ना मिलना भी बोहत ज़रूरी होता है

दम दम दम दम
तू मेरा
दम दम दम दम
दम दम दम दम

Here comes the comparison of love to divinity. He is speaking to his beloved, but the same can apply to a devotee speaking to his God.

Whether you talk to me or not

Whether you read my eyes or not

Pray not to look at you

Or to not whisper your name

तू बात करे या ना मुझसे
चाहे आँखों का पैगाम न ले
पर ये मत कहना अरे ओ पगले
मुझे देख ना तू, मेरा नाम ना ले

From you emerges my God and my religion

(Note that the religion referred here is “Love”)

My prayers are from you, your divinity is from me

If you say then I'll become Bulleh Shah

(And then he gives the reference of Bulleh Shah who danced in merriment to please his God)

I'll also dance and mollify my beloved

I'll walk on your path, Bulleh Shah

तुझसे मेरा दीन धरम है
मुझसे तेरी खुदाई
तुझसे मेरा दीन धरम है
मुझसे तेरी खुदाई

तू बोले तो बन जाऊं
मैं बुल्लेह शाह सौदाई
मैं भी नाचूं मैं भी नाचूं मनाऊँ
सोहने यार को
चलूँ मैं तेरी राह बुल्लेया
मैं भी नाचुं रिझाऊँ सोहने यार को
करूँ ना परवाह बुल्लेया

 

मेहरम = Companion

मरहम = Pain reliever

मेरा मेहरम तू, मरहम तू
मेरा हमदम हरदम तू
मेरा हरदम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम तू..

Then he returns to persuade his beloved

Maybe our love is incomplete
But why should the heart be ashamed of this
For what is complete is over
What is incomplete remains alive

माना अपना इश्क़ अधूरा
दिल न इस्पे शर्मिंदा है
पूरा होके ख़तम हुआ सब
जो है आधा वोही ज़िंदा है

My hopes remain stuck at your door
My heart yearns to take a flight with you
Forgive me with your love, let me free
Just say it and I shall trade everything like Bulleh Shah

हो बैठी रहती है उमीदें
तेरे घर की दहलीज़ों पे
जिसकी न परवाज़ खत्म हो
दिल ये मेरा वही परिंदा है..

बक्शे तू जो प्यार से मुझको
तो हो मेरी रिहाई
बक्शे तू जो प्यार से मुझको
तोहो मेरी रिहाई

तू बोले तोह मैं बन जाऊं
मैं बुल्ल्ह शाह सौदाई
मैं भी नाचूं, मैं भी नाचूं मनाऊँ
सोहणे यार को
चलूँ मैं तेरी राह बुल्लेया
मैं भी नाचूं रिझाऊं सोहणे यार को
करूँ ना परवाह बुल्लेया

मेरा मेहरम तू, मरहम तू
मेरा हमदम हरदम तू
मेरा हरदम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम तू..

Now you may or may not remember me
But you have influenced life
I revere your heartbreak
And I given in to your mystery and allure
Maybe the sacrifice of my life,
Wishes for the separation of ours.
Just say it and I shall trade everything like Bulleh Shah.

तू याद करे या ना मुझको
मेरे जीने में अन्दाज़ तेरा
सर आँखों पर है तेरी नाराज़ी
मेरी हार में है कोई राज़ तेरा

सदका = Gift

शायद मेरी जान का सदका
मांगे तेरी जुदाई
शायद मेरी जान का सदका
मांगे तेरी जुदाई

तू बोले तोह मैं बन जाऊं
मैं बुल्लेशाह सौदाई
मैं भी नाचूं, मैं भी नाचूं मनाऊँ
सोहणे यार को
चलूँ मैं तेरी राह बुल्लेया

मेरा हर दम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम तू..

मेरा मेहरम तू, मरहम तू
मेरा हमदम हरदम तू
मेरा हरदम दम हर दम तू
मेरा हर दम तू..