The Timeless Qawwali That Captivated Generations
The recently launched trailer for Ranveer Singh's highly anticipated film Dhurandhar concluded with a musical surprise that has sent Bollywood enthusiasts on a nostalgic trip. Director Aditya Dhar chose to end the violent and intense trailer with the classic opening lines "Na toh karwaan ki talaash hai" from the legendary 65-year-old qawwali "Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai", composed by music director Roshan, the grandfather of contemporary superstar Hrithik Roshan.
A Musical Legacy With Complex Origins
This iconic qawwali originally appeared in the 1960 film Barsaat Ki Raat and represents one of the most ambitious recording projects in Indian cinema history. The massive 13-minute musical masterpiece required an extraordinary 24-hour recording session and featured the legendary voices of Mohd Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, SD Batish, and Sudha Malhotra, with lyrics penned by the renowned Sahir Ludhianvi.
However, like many classic Bollywood compositions, this song carries a controversial history. The film's producer, R Chandra, who happened to be the elder brother of lead actor Bharat Bhushan, initially approached composer Khayyam for the project. His specific instruction was to create a qawwali inspired by the popular Pakistani qawwali "Na Tu Butkade Ki Talab Mujhe" created by Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, the father of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
When Khayyam declined the offer due to ethical concerns about replicating existing work, Roshan stepped in without hesitation, resulting in the creation of this timeless piece that continues to resonate with audiences more than six decades later.
Celebrity Endorsements and Lasting Impact
During the Netflix documentary series The Roshans, none other than Shah Rukh Khan revealed that this particular qawwali stands as his absolute favourite composition by Roshan. The superstar confessed, "My favourite song is actually a qawwali by him. I think I nearly know the whole qawwali if it is playing."
Renowned playback singer Sonu Nigam added profound praise for the composition, stating, "It's like they say, 'Never before this, never after this'. To this day, there is no qawwali like this. It takes a real genius mind where you have all the ingredients that you need, but how do you use them? That is the biggest hallmark of this qawwali."
The song's creator demonstrated remarkable confidence in his work from the very beginning. Roshan's late wife, Ira Nagrath, recalled questioning the practicality of a 15-minute qawwali, to which Roshan prophetically responded, "one day they will walk around with a chirag (lamp) and ask where is Roshan?"
Music composer Vishal Dadlani perfectly summarized the song's enduring legacy: "People may not know which film this song is from, and who was the actor here, but they know the song. The music is bigger than time, that is Roshan saab."
This sentiment found a powerful echo at the Dhurandhar trailer launch when co-star Arjun Rampal made a similar observation about the film itself, declaring "We will pass away, but this picture will remain," highlighting how certain artistic creations transcend their creators and generations.
Through Dhurandhar, a new generation of cinema lovers will experience the magic of this classic qawwali, ensuring that Roshan's musical genius continues to inspire decades after its original creation.
