Ghir ghir aaye badarwa re bhaiyya
Posted on: September 1, 2013
This article is written by nahm, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
It is the general belief that there is a hindi film song for every situation. There are also a host of fans of Rafi sahab who believe that there is a Rafi song every possible situation conceivable. But I was astonished to see this song from the film ‘ Hamlet ‘(1954). I saw this song for the first time some days back couldn’t believe it is being sung by the grave diggers. They are digging the grave and singing this happy sounding song talking of ‘badarwa’ ‘purwaiyya’ ‘doliyaa sajaayi’ ‘shaadi rachaayi’ etc. I have seen some songs which are morbid to look at and are playing in the background while a funeral is taking place or even when someone is on the deathbed. But was not expecting to find a song with actual grave digging. This must be unique and one of its kind song. It is true that anything can happen in a Hindi film.
This reminds me of once upon a time famous song. A sha’ir in it was :
ae lehad apni basti se keh do maila hone na paaye kafan bhi
aaj hi ham ne pehne hain kapde aaj hi ham nahaaye huey hain
Does anyone remember this song ? This song was all the rage in early 90’s in Mumbai at least. It was blaring from the loudspeakers everywhere. Let us see who among the readers remembers this one.
Coming back to song under discussion, both the actors whose names are not available, are very happy to dig this particular grave 🙂 and expressing their happiness. Obviously some tyrant has died and natives are making a celebration out of this occassion. Kishore Sahu is looking on as the grave diggers are singing and dancing, while digging the grave.
Hamlet (1954) is a movie directed by Kishore Sahu, based on the Shakespeare Drama. It stars Pradeep Kumar and Mala Sinha. The movie has five songs, out of which four are solos by Asha Bhosle. Incidentally, this is the first song from this movie to appear in the blog. Ramesh Naidu is the composer and Hasrat Jaipuri is lyricist. This is the first song composed by Ramesh Naidu to feature in the blog while it happens to be the 500th song of Hasrat Jaipuri in the blog.
This is a Rafi song beginning with the ‘G’ and a duet of Rafi-Jagmohan Bakshi. I was delighted to have a Bhojpuri/hindi mix song to discuss. The flavour of folk music is very much evident here as in the other Rafi songs that are easy to recall, with similar flavour, viz. Pipra ke patwa sareeke dole manwa
and Nain lad jaihe to manwa ma kasak hoibe kari. They both are Rafi solos already discussed in the blog. When I started this series of A-Z Rafi songs, the objective was to try to cover as many different type and moods and facet’s of his singing, as possible. This song is also one of those many songs where Rafi sahab is modulating his voice and singing some lines in between going rustic.
Video
Audio
Song-Ghir ghir aaye badarwa re bhaiyya (Hamlet)(1954) Singers-Rafi, Jagmohan Bakshi, Lyrics-Hasrat Jaipuri, MD-Ramesh Naidu
Lyrics
ghir ghir aaye badarwaa
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
aa aaaa
ghir ghir aaye badarwaa
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
aaa aaaa aaa
aaaa aaa aaa
aa aa aaa
aaa aaa aaa
hamri yeh dharti
hamra gaganwa
hamri yeh dharti
hamra gaganwa
hamre bhaye pau baara
o rajwaa
hamre bhaye pau baara
aansoo ki madira hamraa nasaa hai
maati se heera nikaara
ho lalwaa
maati se heera nikaara
balamva tu de maar
ara ho de maar
ara ho
chikiliki chkiliki
chikiliki chkiliki
ha ho
ho haayi
ha ho
ho haayi
ghir ghir aaye badarwaa
aaaa aaaaa
re bhaiyya sar sar chale purwaiyya
aaaaaa aaaaaaa
re bhaiyya sar sar chale purwaiyya
aa aaaa aaaaaa
ghir ghir aaye badarwaa
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
waah bhaiyya waah
aaa aaa aaaa
aaa aaa aaa
aa aa aa aaa
bhaari dagar hai
chaltaa nagar hai
bhaari dagar hai
chaltaa nagar hai
phulwaa se doliyaa sajaayi
re bhaai
phulwaa se doliyaa sajaayi
man ki dholakia baaje dhanaa dhan
maati se
o bhaayi
maati se shaadi rachaayi
he kaalu tu de maar
ara ho de maar
ara ho
chikiliki chkiliki
chikiliki chkiliki
ha ho
ho haayi
ha ho
ho haayi
ghir ghir aaye badarwaa
aaaa aaaaa
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
aaaaaa aaaaaaa
re bhaiyya
sar sar chale purwaiyya
aa aaaaaaaaaa
13 Responses to "Ghir ghir aaye badarwa re bhaiyya"
September 1, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Nahm ji,
A very interesting song indeed. I have this film, and had watched it a while back. Thanks for bringing it up here for posting. 🙂
This scene in the film / drama is what is formally called a ‘comic relief’. In the strucutre of the stage plays in the west, they have this concept of inserting a funny scene, whether required or not, in the sequence of events being depicted on stage. The purpose is to break the monotony of narrative or a continued string of sad and depressing scenes. I think I should take back the phrase ‘in the west’, because this dramatic device is used across all cultures and literary heritages. It is used in our literary works also, and of course, we see a lot of it in Hindi films. 🙂
Hamlet is probably the most depressing play by Shakespeare, and maybe the most depressing in English literature. The main protagonist is a brooding character, who is concerned about the bad things that have happened in his life, but he is not prone to take any decisive action. He simply cannot bring his thought process to any conclusion. The eulogy ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ is probably the best representation of such a brooding mind.
The entire play is one sad and depressing scene after another, all full of mental conflict, arguments, treachery, betrayals, spurned love and disagreements. There are only two so called ‘comic relief’ sitautions in the play. There is a pair of twin brothers by the names Guilderstern and Rosenctrantz, sons of a courtier and friends of Hamlet. The confusion of this twin pair and their names is one attempt by Shakespeare to inject some light moments in the play. The second is this scene of grave diggers, making a jolly time.
In the sequence of the play, Ophelia, the fiancee of Hamlet, has ended her life by drowning. Her family, especially her brother, hold Hamlet responsible for her death. The preparations in the graveyard are to prepare a grave for her body. It is night time, and gravediggers are working in the light of a lamp. Hamlet and his friend Horatio are the only other persons present on the scene at this time, before the arrival of the family with Ophelia’s mortal remains. In the play, the gravediggers try to make humor of the human situation of life and death. As he is digging the ground, he pulls out a skull that belongs to another body that was buried in the same place long back. Hamlet takes it from him, and there is the famous scene of him holding a skull in his hand, and the well known dialogue delivered at this point – “That skull had a tongue in it, and could sing once”, and then little later the famous eulogy “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him. . .”.
This special type of ‘comic relief’ has also been named as ‘grave humor’ in literature. In the play, there are two gravediggers to start with, and then one leaves. The one who stays, digs the grave and is also singing a song. The situation is just tailor made for Hindi films :), as we must have a song, whatever be the occasion. Ah what else, this is Hindi film, right? :). In the film, the director made it a duet, allowing for back and forth banter between the two.
Thanks again for bringing up this post.
Rgds
Sudhir
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September 1, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Sir,
Thank you for the details of the story. I thought a zealot ruler must have died , that is the reason why the grave diggers are happy and those two people looking are smiling.
This must be origin of the term ‘grave humour’.
BTW, I dont get the meaning of this line.
‘ hamre bhaye pau baraa ‘ .
Regards.
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September 1, 2013 at 1:30 pm
“hamre bhaye pau baarah” could be translated as “we have hit the jackpot”. “Pau baarah hona” is a standard Hindi idiom meaning “to get lucky”.
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September 1, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Thanks for the meaning of ‘pau baarah’ . I have never heard the idiom before.
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3 | Bharat Upadhyay
September 1, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Nahm-ji,
The Urdu couplet is a very famous one. I do not remember which particular song during 90s, you are referring, but Anup Jlota sang a Gazal in a private Mehfil, which I happened to record, had this couplet,
If I get your e-mail address, I could send the mp3 file.
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September 1, 2013 at 4:24 pm
I was not able to recall the name of the singer of the album version . Nor the first lines of the ghazal.
Now I have searched and found that the original was Ataullah Khan. Sonu Nigam sang a cover version and a film version in 1995. Here is the link of cover version by Sonu Nigam:
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September 1, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Nahm ji – Thanks for this interesting post !!
Nahm ji you mentioned that this song was a rage in Mumbai in early 90’s(?) !! was it ? i wonder !!
I do not remember this song and i think I am listening it for the first time, and thanks for this one from Rafi Saab.
@ Sudhir ji – thanks for the details Sir !!
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September 1, 2013 at 4:36 pm
I was talking about the song ‘ ishq mein ham tumhen kya bataayen ‘ album version that was very popular in 93-94. Sonu Nigam’ s cover version link is given above.
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September 1, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Yes, this indeed was a rage then !!
thanks !
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September 2, 2013 at 3:07 pm
Shakuni mama used to say Pobara while playing the chaupat
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September 3, 2013 at 11:56 am
Wonderful series nahm ji. I am wondering if there could be a tag for the songs in this series, so someone coming new to this blog would have access to the A to Z series of Rafi saab.
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October 20, 2014 at 10:36 pm
Recently watching ‘Haider’, I was immediately reminded of this post on our blog. But I could not find it immediately then as I do not remember this film’s name. Thanks to Atul ji and the ‘tag’ ‘grave diggers song’, I find this during my regular browsing of the blog.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 1, 2013 at 10:39 am
A small correction :
ae lehad apni basti se keh do ‘ maila ‘ hone na paaye kafan bhi
aaj hi ham ne pehne hain kapde aaj hi ham nahaaye huey hain
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