Lag Jaa Gale

"Lag Jaa Gale" (Hindi: लग जा गले; lit. Embrace me) is a Hindi song with music by Madan Mohan Kohli and lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, written for the 1964 Bollywood film Woh Kaun Thi?. On the screen the song was performed by popular Bollywood star Sadhana, though actually sung by playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.[1]

"Lag jaa gale"
Song by Lata Mangeshkar
from the album Woh Kaun Thi?
Language	Hindi
Released	1964
Composer(s)	Madan Mohan
Lyricist(s)	Raja Mehdi Ali Khan

In Indian musical tradition

The music is set in Raga Pahari. The song is an example of Dadra songs.

"Lag Jaa Gale" since 1964

Lata Mangeshkar's career spanned more than 70 years (starting in 1942) recording thousands of songs. This iconic song [2] is regarded to be one of songs by which Lata Mangeshkar is remembered. Lata herself considered this song to be among her top six favourite songs in 2016 [3] and among her favourite 20 in 2012.[4]

In 2014, on the fiftieth anniversary of the song, she tweeted: ""Namaskar Is varsh 'Lag ja gale ke phir ye hasee'n raat' is geet ko 50 saal pure ho rahe hain. aisa madhur geet aaj bhi purana nahi lagta" (This year the song 'Lag ja gale ke phir ye hasee'n raat' is 50 years old, but it is so sweet, it does not feel old at all)[5] The singer Amit Mishra claims that "My favourite song by Lata ji is Lag Ja Gale and I can hear it a million times on repeat mode"[6]

Lyrics

"Gale lagana" -Kurdish women

In the song, the singer expresses that this evening may the last time she will see her beloved. Below, the song is transcribed in Devanagari (Hindi), Nastaʿlīq (Urdu) and English

लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीं रात हो न हो शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो हमको मिली हैं आज ये घड़ियाँ नसीब से जी भर के देख लीजिये हमको करीब से फिर आपके नसीब में ये बात हो न हो पास आइये कि हम नहीं आएंगे बार-बार बाहें गले में डाल के हम रो लें ज़ार-ज़ार आँखों से फिर ये प्यार की बरसात हो न हो शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो

لگ جا گلے کہ پھر یہ حسیں رات ہو نہ ہو شاید پھر اس جنم میں ملاقات ہو نہ ہو ہم کو ملی ہیں آج یہ گھڑیاں نصیب سے جی بھر کے دیکھ لیجیئے ہم کو قریب سے پھر آپ کے نصیب میں یہ بات ہو نہ ہو پاس آئیے کہ ہم نہیں آئیں گے بار بار باہیں گلے میں ڈال کے ہم رو لیں زار زار آنکھوں سے پھر یہ پیار کی برسات ہو نہ ہو شاید پھر اس جنم میں ملاقات ہو نہ ہو

Lag jaa gale ke phir yeh haseen raath ho na ho Shaayad phir is janam mey mulaaqat ho na ho Hum ko mile hai aaj yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se Jee bhar ke dekh leejiye hum ko kareeb se Phir aap ke naseeb mey yeh baat ho na ho Paas aayie ke hum nahin aayenge baar baar Baahein gale mein daal ke hum ro le zaar zaar Aankon se phir yeh pyaar ki barsaath ho na ho Lag jaa gale ke phir yeh haseen raath ho na ho

Embrace me, for this beautiful evening may not come again Perhaps we may never meet again in this life Fate has given us these few moments You can look at me from up close, as much as you wish Your fate may never have this opportunity again Come closer, I will not return again and again Let me wrap my arms around your neck and cry for a long time My eyes may never shed such a shower of love again Embrace me, for this beautiful evening may not come again

The Hindi expression "ho na ho" implies that it may or may not happen in future. "Gale lagna" refers to embracing such that the necks touch, it can apply to two persons of the same sex as well.

The song expresses profound sadness on the impending partition, which is perhaps final. The Hindi expression "ho na ho" implies that it may or may not happen in future. In Hinduism, death is the parting for this life. The parting, although expresses separation of two lovers in the movie, can also mean death in the Indian context. Some individuals remember having sung this song for the dying grandmother. Others member a close relative, with impending death due to cancer, dancing her last dance with this song. It is sometimes sung at Indian funerals.

It is also considered to be an iconic song composed by Madan Mohan.[7]

In popular culture

It is said that for the movie Woh Kaun Thi, the song was originally rejected by the movie director. He decided to include it when he heard it the second time.[8]

When the former star Sadhana passed way in 2015, she was often recalled by referring to her as the actress of this song.[9]

The actor Irrfan Khan, who died on 29 April 2020 after a battle with cancer, used to listen to this song duringhis last days.[10]

Renditions

In 1966, two movies used the song: in the Tamil movie Yaar Nee?, it is rendered as "Ponmeni Thazhuvamal",[11] and in the Telugu movie Aame Evaru? it is rendered as "Andala ee reyi".

The singer Shreya Ghoshal performed the song in concert several times in the 2010s.[12]

Its rendition by the Sanam Band has been so popular that some teenagers think they originally sang it.[13] It has also been sung by several singers in Pakistan.

A rendition of the song sung by Jonita Gandhi featured in 2018 film Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3.[14]

Film Kedarnath starring Sushant Singh Rajput, who died on 14 June 2020, features a rendition by singer Sanam Puri. [15]

References

1. Lag Jaa Gale - Sadhana, Lata Mangeshkar, Woh Kaun Thi Romantic Song, 95,502,903 views, Ultra Bollywood, Jan 23, 2010
2. Love the iconic song Lag Ja Gale from Woh Kaun Thi? Here's an interesting story, SUBHASH K JHA, DECCAN CHRONICLE, Mar 20, 2018
3. Lata Mangeshkar birthday: The legendary singer lists her six favourite songs, Hindustan times, Sep 28, 2016
4. Lata Mangeshkar first time chooses her favourite songs Subhash K Jha, Entertainment Times, Sep 28, 2012
5. Lag ja gale’ still sounds fresh: Lata, Jagran, 30 Jun 2014,
6. World Music Day: Celebrating Musical Maestros Of Bollywood, Mid-Day Jun 21, 2018
7. लग जा गले कि फिर मुलाकात हो, न हो...' यतींद्र मिश्र, BBC Hindi, 7 मई 2017
8. jansatta, Feb 21, 2018
9. लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीं रात हो ना हो, 25 दिसंबर 2015
10. ‘Irrfan Khan listened to Lag jaa gale ki phir during his treatment, a reminder for us all’: says cancer survivor Lisa Ray, Hindustan times, Mar 22, 2020
11. Yaar Nee? (1966) TAMIL, The Hindu, JULY 03, 2016
12. Shreya Ghoshal Week: Best live performances in UK, Feb 5, 2018
13. It's funny when some teenagers think 'Lag Ja Gale' is not sung by Lata Mangeshkar but Sanam band: Isheta Sarckar, 14 Jun 2018
14. Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 in IMDB
15. Sushant Singh Rajput fans are not happy with 'Kedarnath' re-release; here's why! ETimes, Oct 15, 2020