Meaning of Chaiyya Chaiyya: The Sufi Connection The lyrics of ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’, written by Gulzar, are deeply inspired by the Sufi song ‘Thaiyya Thaiyya’ by the 18th-century poet Bulleh Shah. The word ‘Chaiyya’ refers to a ‘shadow’ or a state of spiritual shade. In the context of the song, it represents walking in the shadow … Read more
Meaning of Ae Ajnabi: The Ache of Cosmic Longing Written by Gulzar, ‘Ae Ajnabi’ translates to ‘O Stranger.’ In the thematic backdrop of Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se, this song represents the stage of Ibtida (attraction/obsession) mixed with agonizing separation. Gulzar brilliantly uses everyday elements like shifting shadows, rustling leaves, and the distance of the wind … Read more
The most ignored of the 3 indians that won the Oscar yesterday has to be Gulzar saab. Amoung all the celebration apparently a lot of people missed noticing that he had won the award for penning the lyrics of “Jai Ho!”, mostly because he did not pick up the award in person.
It turns out that one of my all time favorite songs is his favorite too :)