:Chaiyya Chaiyya
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Chaiyya Chaiyya
| type = song
| caption = Cover of the lyrical video, with Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora
| artist = A. R. Rahman
| album = Dil Se.. soundtrack
| released = 1998
| studio = Panchathan Record Inn
| genre = *Bollywood
| length = 6:48
| composer = A. R. Rahman
| lyricist = Gulzar
| label = *Sony Classical
- Venus
- Varèse Sarabande
| producer = A. R. Rahman
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = song
| file = Chaiyya Chaiyya.ogg
}}
}}
"Chaiyya Chaiyya" ({{translation|Walk in shade}}) is an Indian pop-folk song, featured in the soundtrack of the Bollywood film Dil Se.., released in 1998. Based on Sufi music and Urdu poetry,{{cite book|last=Basu|first=Anustup|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AxyrBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164|title=Bollywood in the Age of New Media: The Geo-televisual Aesthetic: The Geo-televisual Aesthetic|date=2010|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=9780748643233|page=164}} the single was derived from the lyrics of the song "Tere Ishq Nachaya", written by Bulleh Shah, with music composed by A.R. Rahman, written by Gulzar, and sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi. The accompanying music video was directed by Mani Ratnam and picturised on Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora, where they perform the song on top of a moving train.
"Chaiyya Chaiyya" was a critical and commercial success, selling over six million units in India{{cite news|title=Rahman @ 25|url=http://www.news18.com/news/immersive/rahman-at-25.html|work=News18|agency=CNN International|date=8 September 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908192439/www.news18.com/news/immersive/rahman-at-25.html|archive-date=2017-09-08|access-date=2021-04-22}} and earning a cult following internationally, and is often cited as an influential track in Hindi cinema. In 2002, the BBC World Service conducted an international poll to choose the ten most popular songs of all time: "Chaiyya Chaiyya" finished ninth.{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/features/topten/profiles/index.shtml |title= The World's Top Ten |accessdate=2008-11-05 |publisher= BBC World Service |date= }}
Chaiyya Chaiyya became especially popular and the song has been featured in the film Inside Man (2006), in the musical Bombay Dreams, and in the television shows Smith and CSI: Miami.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Dil-Se-R-Rahman/dp/B000K9KWA4 |title=Dil Se Soundtrack |website=Amazon |access-date=2011-06-30 |archive-date=25 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225152620/https://www.amazon.com/Dil-Se-R-Rahman/dp/B000K9KWA4 |url-status=live }} The Tamil dub of "Chaiyya Chaiyya", titled "Thaiyya Thaiyya", and the Telugu language dub also gained popularity in South India. In Indonesia, the song hits its popularity peak in 2010, following the viral video of First Police Brigadier rank Norman Kamaru covering the dance choreo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16076127|title=Indonesian policeman who became internet hit is sacked|date=7 December 2011|via=www.bbc.com}}
History
The lyrics of "Chaiyya Chaiyya" are based on the Sufi folk song "Thaiyya Thaiyya" with lyrics by poet Bulleh Shah.{{Cite web|title=Did you know? Thaiya Thaiya From Uyire is based on a song highlighting casteism!|url=https://www.moviecrow.com/News/25868/chaiya-chaiya-bulleh-shah-thaiya-thaiya-ar-rahman|access-date=2021-01-12|website=www.moviecrow.com}} Singer Sukhwinder Singh originally suggested the song to A.R. Rahman who was looking for a Punjabi devotional song to include on the soundtrack of Dil Se... Gulzar subsequently rewrote the lyrics and changed the name to "Chaiyya Chaiyya".{{cite web |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/54571/ |title= 'Music, like religion, has a soul. If you get this right, you can have different arrangements' |date= 7 September 2004 |work= Indian Express |accessdate=31 March 2010}}{{Cite web|last=Gaekwad|first=Manish|title=Audio master: The lasting brilliance of AR Rahman's 'Dil Se'|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1175/audio-master-the-lasting-brilliance-of-ar-rahmans-dil-se|access-date=2020-08-28|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}
"Chaiyya Chaiyya" reached the top of the charts in India and became popular in the United Kingdom.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}
In an interview called "Sadhanai Tamilargal" alongside Mani Ratnam and Vairamuthu, Rahman stated that the song was originally composed for his album Vande Mataram. But as it didn't fit in, he decided to show it to Mani Ratnam, who loves these kind of catchy tunes. The very first time hearing the song, Mani Ratnam decided to shoot the song on a train.{{Cite web|title=In focus - Going Chaiya chaiya on the roof of a train...|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/in-focus-going-chaiya-chaiya-on-the-roof-of-a-train-/articleshow/48340311.cms|access-date=2021-09-06|website=The Times of India|language=en}}
Music video
The video was filmed on top of the Ooty train, powered by X-Class Steam Locomotive (the Nilgiri Mountain Railway) in mountainous Tamil Nadu, southern India, while actor Shahrukh Khan dances with model/actress Malaika Arora and other dancers. The film was directed by Mani Ratnam and recorded by Santosh Sivan. The choreography was completed in four and half days by Farah Khan.{{cite news
| last = Poojari
| first = Chatura
| title = My first break: Farah Khan
| date = 1998-09-11
| url = http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19980911/25451004.html
| accessdate = 2008-08-08
| newspaper = The Indian Express
}}.
No major back projections or post-production special effects were used in the music video.
Malaika Arora, one of the performers, recalls: "Would you believe it? Well, the "Chaiya Chaiya" song was shot exactly as you see it on the screen: No camera tricks, no back projection, no post-production special effects!"{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/lf/2002/02/11/stories/2002021100260200.htm|title=From tube to screen|author=A.A. Michael Raj|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=2002-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201142323/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/lf/2002/02/11/stories/2002021100260200.htm|archive-date=1 February 2011|url-status=usurped}} She also said that "...One of the unit members tripped and hurt himself. Other than that, things were safe."{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2000/jul/05mal.htm |title='I expect a lot from myself'|author=Sukanya Verma|publisher=Rediff|accessdate=2011-04-04}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!Year !Award !Category !Recipients !Results |
| rowspan="4" |1999
| rowspan="3" |Filmfare Awards |{{won}} |
| Best Male Playback
|{{won}} |
| Best Choreography
|{{won}} |
| rowspan="1" |Star Screen Awards
|{{won}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- English translation of this song is available at [http://blog.chandrahasa.com/archives/3168 Chaiyya Chaiyya Lyrics Meaning & Translation].
- An English translation available at [http://lyricstranslate.com/en/chaiyya-chaiyya-shade.html Sukhwinder Singh - छैय्या छैय्या (Chaiyya Chaiyya) (English translation)].
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Category:Songs with music by A. R. Rahman
Category:Songs with lyrics by Gulzar