Barzakh: Alamgir's Dekha Na Tha returns—A pop culture classic's epic revival!

Art is subjective, and artists forever put themselves up for judgment as a part of their job. The wilderness that an artist can explore through their caliber is insane and unscaled. How else do you define a filmmaker who has thought of a land that is set in the middle of nowhere, in which a king decides to marry the ghost of his first lover and calls it his ultimate match because this is the third time? He is about to clash the world of the living with limbo land, where the spirits of the dead exist, ones who are yet to see the day of their judgment. They hover around in this world as the living continues with their ordeals of life. The idea itself is visually impossible, but what exactly is impossible for Pakistani filmmaker Asim Abbasi, who has let his intrusive thoughts win, and maybe that is the best thing for Pakistani cinema and cinema in general across the world. 

The Hidden Tune Of Barzakh

While we are now on the third episode of Barzakh, and there is so much to be decoded and dissected in the show, have you carefully seen the second episode? No, we are not talking about a visual Easter egg or a metaphor, but a tune. Remember that scene where Aqa tells Saifullah to dance as he announces he isn't going to return once he jets off to the mountains to Mehtab? What did you hear? A song? What song? Dekha Na Tha? Exactly that. Now, for the ones introduced to it by Bilal Khan and Quratulain Balouch, you need some history lessons, and that is what we are here for.

The History of Dekha Na Tha

Here is a song that was first introduced back in the 70s and since then has gone through a government-ordered ban, a change in lyrics, many versions, and stood the test of time to be the pop culture anthem of not just Pakistan but India too. Let's dissect. The flagbearer of pop culture in Pakistan, Alamgir, introduced the country to the song Dekha Na Tha, the tunes for which he allegedly copied from a Turkish song Sev Kardesim by the iconic Turkish singer-songwriter Şenay. The original version of the song was sung by Alamgir and Nazi (another pathbreaking pop culture sensation), which got banned later. The reason will leave you shocked. Check out the Turkish song below.

The government back in the day banned Dekha Na Tha's non-film version because it has the word nasha, which translates to intoxication. While there was no mention of any kind of liquor or drug, the song was still held accountable for the use of that specific word. What added to the fire was the fact that the song was shot with a very contemporary take which was labeled Westernized. The “Western Glamour” turned out to be reason number two for the song to be banned. The ban on the song continued in the 70s. Check out the original version below.

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But that is not where Dekha Na Tha's journey ends. Alamgir kept the track alive even with a ban imposed on it. He continued singing the song in live gigs but with a twist. This time he replaced the word nasha with jadoo. With no official reports or proofs of when the ban was lifted, in 1978 the song got a new life when Alamgir reprised it with Naheed Akhtar, this time for an Urdu film Bobby and Julie in 1978. This is the popular version that we listen to. Below is the version with Jadoo in it.

And the Journey Continues!

No, it didn't land in Barzakh directly after that. Dekha Na Tha now turned into a pop culture anthem because it had everything that would make it popular. The song traveled through the next decade to find itself a new rendition in 1996 in a Pakistani film called Choron Ke Ghar Chor, with Mohammad Ali Sheikhi and Siara Naseem singing it this time. What is interesting is that the tunes remained the same with minor changes, but the song managed to find an audience for every single version. At this point tracing the roots was next to impossible because the core was also shared with a Turkish number in case you haven't kept track.

There are two more to go. Let's now enter the contemporary world where many of us were introduced to the number because the internet was available and Pakistani artists were now global names. Bilal Khan and Quratulain Balouch entered the scene. Cut to 2012, the new version was with two young artists who gave it a more unplugged touch but the soul remained intact. This is the version we all listen to the most, maybe. But wait, Fawad Khan’s life has come full circle in Barzakh with Dekha Na Tha. Let me tell you how. But listen to the Bilal and QB version first.

So, Fawad Khan, who stars in Barzakh and in the finale, will again meet Dekha Na Tha, having already sung the song with Atif Aslam ft. Meesha Shafi. Yes, you read that right. The two sang it in an advertisement for a soft drink brand that went crazy viral back in the day. So now when you listen to the song in Barzakh, you know why it made the cut. You know the journey this song has gone through to survive roughly five decades without losing any relevance. And yes, the season finale is a treat for all you Dekha Na Tha fans.

This is an iconic journey of a song that has transcended time, boundaries, and borders to become a tune that means much more than just another song. Barzakh streams on Zee5 in India. You can also watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

(With Inputs From Steemit).

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