Just For My Sake – Yoon Hi – Tanu Weds Manu

Love is magical isn’t it! It makes us do stupid things and feel differently towards the world and react in a totally different way. The innocence of first love, the first heartbreak, the first longing… truly is an out of this world experience. If that love is reciprocated, then the experience becomes delightful. If not, the lover finds delight in pain, nevertheless!

The following lines from the song echoes the feelings of longing, refusal and love from the deepest corner of the lover’s heart. Manoj, aka Manu, is madly in love with Tanuja, aka Tanu. But she loves someone else and informs Manu that she would marry her love shortly. Although heartbroken, Manu accompanies Tanu in all her little outings; just to be near her while he can.

Kitne dafe dil ne kaha dil ki suni kitne dafe
Waise toh teri naa mein bhi maine dhoondh li apni khushi
Tu jo gar haan kahe toh baat hogi aur hi..
Dil hi rakhne ko kabhi oopar oopar se sahi
Keh dena tha keh dena haan yoon hi

How often has my heart said this to me and how often I have listened to it
Although I have found my happiness in your refusal, but I wonder how I would feel if at all you accept me some day.
Why didn’t you say yes just for the sake of saying
It would have amused my aching heart a little
You should have said yes just for my sake

The moment Mohit Chauhan’s voice starts crooning the lines we automatically drown into the ocean of this one-sided love and are thrown back and forth in the little ripples of his voice as if we are tossed on the waves of that deep ocean never reaching the shore. With such a silken voice who would want to reach the shore anyways!

Kitne dafe hairan hua main ye soch ke
Uthati hai ibaadat ki khushbooyein kyun mere ishq se
Jaise hi mere honth ye chhu lete hai tere naam ko
Lage ki sajda kiya keh ke tujhe shabad ye bol doon
Ye Khudaai chhor ke aaja phir tu zameen pe
Aur jaa na kahin tu saath reh ja mere

I was amazed that there is a sort of fragrance which arises from my love for you
Like it does when I pray to the almighty
The moment your name comes on my lips
It feels as if I have bowed down in obeisance and am saying a holy prayer
Just shun this divinity and come down to the earth my love
And once you are with me just stay here for my sake

The song has, what can be called as, the typical Indian treatment in terms of the general music and instruments used. But the interludes are a little different where the music director dabbles with some western notes. The use of female voice for the interludes makes us feel as if the heroine is teasing the hero for being a gentleman that he is and that will actually make him lose her.

Kitne dafe mujhko laga tere saath udte huye
Aasmaani dukaano se dhoond ke pighlaa duu main chand ye
Tumhare inn kaano mein pehna bhi duun boonde bana
Phir ye main soch loon samjhegi tu jo main na keh saka
Par darta hoon abhi naa ye tu poochhe kahin kyun laaye ho ye
Kyun laaye ho ye yoon hi…

There were so many times when I thought that I should fly away with you
And search for the moon in the shops of the sky
So that I may melt it and make you some beautiful earrings for you
Then maybe you will understand my love for you and what I want to say to you
But now I am scared that you might ask if I brought it just for the sake of my heart and that it was unnecessary
And that will break my heart

Composer Krsna Solo has kept the song very simple and has given the open canvas to Mohit Chauhan to explore the space completely. Lyrics by Rajshekhar are a mix of Urdu and Hindi words. It also has a hint of Punjabi for example the use of Shabad which means the hymns of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Together, they give the feel of the words used in northern India where the movie is set.
The ending of the song is a little abrupt. A soulful and melodious song like this deserves a soothing, gentle ending. It feels as if we are jolted back to reality and become aware of our surroundings suddenly. Maybe that was what the music director intended to do! On that hopeful note enjoy the song.