Got a request from Lisa H for translation of Sanwaar Loon from Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera. She mentioned her love for Bollywood songs and specifically asked me to explain the meaning of phrase ‘sanwaar loon’ that repeats in the song repeatedly. She also asked my why this song sounds so ‘different’ from the contemporary Bollywood songs. Here are my answers in brief with gratitude for Lisa who send some generous compliments for the blog as well.

 ‘Sanwaar’ is sophisticated word that means indulging/beautifying/pampering or even taming to a certain extent. Hence, its use is seen in many contexts, This song that won singer Monali Thakur many awards is about a woman who feels the love and desire for a man growing inside her body and mind. The resultant phrases are her mutterings and musings about how she wishes to both indulge in her new found longings and tame them to avoid embarrassing herself in the flush of a very self-conscious youth. The song has been composed brilliantly by Amit Trivedi to suit the time and place where the film is set, i.e. 1950s West Bengal. It sounds very classic Bollywood with a minimalist ‘non-digital’ sounding orchestra, innocent vocals and the style of having one mukhda (opening stanza) and two antaras (stanzas that follow the opening one) with identical tunes. In the last two decades, Bollywood music has innovated a lot and moved away from such song renderings, hence making this song a kind of refreshing retrospective melody.

 Lootera (Robber) is loosely based on O Henry’s tragic short story, The Last Leaf. It had a fairly successful run at the box office, winning praise for the lead actors, Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh for their performances. The film also won praise for its meticulous production design that created the 1950s West Bengal is all its sophistication and glory. Despite the scale on which the film was mounted, Lootera was astute and understated in the right measure. This wonderful video gives the entire lowdown on behind-the-scenes of this picturesque film. Do keep your requests and comments coming through the blog or Facebook and Twitter pages of bollywoodtarjuma!
Song Credits
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Singers: Monali Thakur
Music: Amit Trivedi

Movie Credits
Directed by: Vikramaditya Motwane
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha
Produced by: Anurag Kashyap, Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Vikas Bahl
Release: 5 July 2013

Original Lyrics – Sanwaar Loon

Hawa ke jhonke aaj mausamon se rooth gaye
Gulon ki shokhiyaan jo bhanwre aake loot gaye
Badal rahi hai aaj zindagi ki chaal zara
Issi bahaane kyun naa main bhi dil ka haal zara
Sanwaar loon haaye sanwaar loon
Sanwaar loon haaye sanwaar loon

Baramade puraane hain, nayi si dhoop hai
Jo palke khatkhata raha hai kiska roop hai
Shararatein kare jo aise bhoolke hijab
Kaise usko naam se, main pukar loon
Sanwaar loon, sawaar loon

Yeh saari koyalein bani hain aaj daakiyan
Kuhu-kuhu me chitthiyan padhe mazakiyaan
Inhe kaho ki naa chhupaaye
Kisne hai likha bataaye,
Uski aaj main nazar utaar loon
Sanwaar loon haaye sanwaar loon
Sanwaar loon, sanwaar loon

Translation of Sanwaar Loon by bollywoodtarjuma

Breezy gusts got annoyed with the weather,
Flowers lost their nectar to buzzers,
As winds of change taking me over,
I wonder of my heart’s disposition,
indulge to finally better its rendition,
admit its beauty has come to fruition.

Old alleys awash with a new light,
whose charmed face knocks at my sight?
Oh how to ignore the mischievous trail?
how to call him out from behind the veil?

Cuckoos are have turned into postmen,
humming witty messages now and then.
Tell them not to use such ciphers,
please reveal who is the writer,
I only want to wish him well,
and break all his evil spells.

Breezy gusts got annoyed with the weather,
Flowers lost their nectar to buzzers,
As winds of change taking me over,
I wonder of my heart’s disposition,
tune to finally better its rendition,
admit its beauty has come to fruition.