The song Challa from the Bollywood movie ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ featuring Shah Rukh Khan, fondly known as ‘the king of romance’ has created a frenzy globally.
It has already gained 2 million+ views in less than 4 days. In the first day of the release, it received 1.2 million views! It’s going to be heading the top 10 charts for sure.
Kudos to Yash Raj Films, A R Rahman, Gulzar sahib and Rabbi for making ‘Challa’. Challa shall be hummed and sung by many for years to come or ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’!
“All thoughts, all passions, all delights, Whatever stirs this mortal frame, all are but ministers of love, and feed his sacred flame…”
The lyrics of Challa have been penned by Gulzar, music composed by A R Rahman and the song has been sung by Rabbi.
As Yash Chopra, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, told Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood mega star, while in conversation with him, “This is my favorite song and it is your song in the film. It is the soul of the film – you belong to everybody but nobody is yours. This song is in Punjabi language and it has been sung beautifully by Rabbi Shergill. Gulzar Saheb has written the lovely lyrics. He has given words to my vision. Working with AR Rahman and Gulzar, is like working with magicians.”
As the lyrics are in Punjabi, many a fans of Shah Rukh Khan were extremely keen for the lyrics to be translated into English. The lead actor of the movie and of many other Yash Raj films, complied with all the requests and translated the lyrics into English. Humbly apologizing to Gulzar sahib, SRK says, “Sorry sir, I attempted the Challa lyrics translation in a poem.”
SRK, is seen strumming a guitar and singing in the streets of London in search of his love, Katrina Kaif, and with a hope in his heart, that he might find his love one day.
Here’s the translation:
Challa ki labh da phire
Challa ki labh da phire
Yaaron main ghar kehda
Lokan ton puchda phire
Wanderer mad with love,
What do you search for?
Asking people far and wide,
Where the one does reside.
Challa hansda phire
Challa rounda phire
Challa gali gali rulda phire
You roam the streets, end to end,
You laugh, you cry,
You urge every passerby
Challe tu sab da
Challe tera koi nahi
Challa gali gali rul da phire
Challa ki labh da phire
Challa ki labh da phire
Yaaron main ghar kehda
Lokan ton puchda phire
Challa ki labh da phire
Hiding the hurt in your smile,
That you belong to all the world,
Yet no one is yours to hold
Rang satrangi de bulbula di boli
Dhoop de pairi chale, chhavan ni lai doli
Rang satrangi rangi de, bulbula di di boli
Dhoop de pairi chale, chhavan ni lai lai doli
Hun kaale kaale badalan ‘ch chand labh da
Goongiyan hawa va diyaan waaja sun da
Yaaro aas-paas wasda ai yaar mera
Dikhda ni ohdiyaan khusbuaan sunghda
O Challa ki labh da phire..
Challa ki labh da phire
Yaaron main ghar kehda
Lokan ton puchda phire
Challa ki labh da phire
The colours of the rainbow
Converge in her eyes,
Her voice is as pure,
As the Bulbul’s cry.
She walks in the fiery sun
But shadows cover her,
Through every blackened cloud you try,
To find the furtive white moonlight,
You even hear a gentle lilt,
In the soundless stirring of the wind,
You tell all those looking on,
That your love lives close by
Your gaze deceives itself you say,
Never pausing along your way,
Her scent is wrapped around your soul
Naa visaal hoya kadi na judai hoi
Ishq de qaidi ki naa rihaai hoi
Lokon sufne ‘ch milne da wada usda
Saari saari raat na akh lagdi
Mere saa vi thode thode ghat aaunde
Meri nabz vi thodi ghat wajdi
Challa ki labh da phire
Challa ki labh da phire
Yaaron main ghar kehda
Lokan ton puchda phire
You wear it knowing every day,
The one you search for desperately,
Will come to love you back someday.
