Just stumbled across a song that I keep singing in my mind occassionally during travel or during relaxing times, among other things:
I know word by word translation might not do complete justice without the context in which this song gives out the beauty in its full glory:
Occassionally, I can explain it in the context of the movie, as below:
Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly
Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly
Aankhon mein chha rahe ho You're spreading in my eyes
Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me
The protagonist is feeling the closeness of his lover while is is missing her during his days in a foreign (Pakistani prison in this case) prison. He is wrongly arrested for being a spy while on his way back to India. This song is not present in the movie, but the lyrics sync beautifully with the emotions that he might be going through in the prison, longing for her. Remember, he sacrificed his original plan of taking away zaara by understanding the pain of her mother in a beautiful dialogue, which I am translating here for context:
Zaara's mother: "Is every boy of your nation like you?"(after witnessing his sacrifice)
Veer: "I am not sure if about that, but every Indian mother is definitely like you!"
Zaara's mother: "Is every boy of your nation like you?"(after witnessing his sacrifice)
Veer: "I am not sure if about that, but every Indian mother is definitely like you!"
Just giving a link to this particular scene below for your reference:
Chupke, chupke Silently, silently
Chupke, chupke Silently, silently
Dil mein samaa rahe ho You're settling in my heart
Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me
Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly
Chupke, chupke Silently, silently
If you observe closely, the words "dheere" and "chupke" get repeated multiple times, but it doesnt feel repetitive because it shows the mood of Veer and the setting he is locked in: time running very slowly, and silence of his prison.
Jhukti hui yeh palkein Your eyes that look down
Khulte hue yeh gesu Your hair that is flowing
Jhukti hui yeh palkein Your eyes that look down
Khulte hue yeh gesu Your hair that is flowing
Yeh sharm ki adayein Your style full of shyness
Woh shokhiyon ka jaadu The magic of your pranks
Kaise, kaise Of what kind, of what kind
Kaise, kaise Of what kind, of what kind
Sapne dikha rahe ho You're showing me dreams
Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me
Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly
Chupke, chupke Silently, silently
Veer remembers all those moments that happened with Zaara:
Her eyes looked down while crossing a rope bridge.
Her hair is flowing with the wind, covering her beautiful face, and as he pushes the strands away while rescuing her, he sees her face for the first time! She was terrified with the height and he even mentions that during the moment.
He remembers all of these and feels her coming closer in his dreams.
Phoolon bhare nazaare These flower filled sceneries
Yeh khushboon ke dere These fragrance filled places
Phoolon bhare nazaare These flower filled sceneries
Yeh khushboon ke dere These fragrance filled places
Lagte hai khwaab jaise It seems like a dream
Yeh shaam yeh savere These evenings and mornings
Haule, haule Softly, softly
Haule, haule Softly, softly
Armaan jaga rahe ho You're awakening my desires
Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me
Veer remembers and feels all those flower filled fields(specifically the mustard fields in Punjab/Haryana) across which he roamed with Zaara. He even feels the aroma across them and the scenic moments during evenings and mornings when the sun rise starts to reawaken his desires!
Chupke, chupke Silently, silently
Dheere, dheere Slowly, slowly
Aankhon mein chha rahe ho You're spreading in my eyes
Tum paas aa rahe ho You're coming closer to me
Aa ha ha ... ha ... ho ho ho Hmmm ... la la la Hmmm ... la la la
Credits:
Music: Madan Mohan
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
All the above scenes might not be possible to fit in the movie due to length issues or breaking the narrative flow. Imagine this song coming out when we see an old Veer in the dark prison. It might not fit at that moment, but when we imagine it after the movie ends, we will realize how beautiful these lyrics are in the context of the movie.
I do realize the political conflicts between India and Pakistan, but this is just a movie and movies are for entertainment and experience and not for judgements or hatred. I am not sure if Veer-Zaara was accepted with the same enthusiasm during its re-release in November 2024, that it received when it was released long back in November 2004. During its initial release and my first viewing, the movie didnt make that big an impact, but as I understood its soul and the lyrics clearly, I keep revelling in all those symbolic moments that were part of this movie!
