NEW DELHI: In an intimate recollection of a defining moment with the Executive Editor, Rohan Dua in his musical journey, celebrated Bollywood playback singer Javed Ali revealed how a single word—takrana—became a turning point in the recording of the iconic Ghajini track, under the careful guidance of actor-producer Aamir Khan.
Javed recalled the time he was recording the song at a Delhi studio, accompanied by the film’s key creative team: Aamir Khan, music maestro A.R. Rahman, director A.R. Murugadoss, and lyricist Prasoon Joshi. The moment, as he described, was layered with artistic tension and emotional vulnerability.
The line in question was: “Sheeshe ke khwab lekar raathon mein chal raha hoon, takra…” (“With dreams made of glass… walking through the night with fragile dreams, bumping into life…”). It was a poetic image, loaded with fragility and uncertainty.
“At first, I sang it forcefully,” Javed Ali said. “But Aamir Sir stopped me and pointed out something about the word takrana (to crash). He said, ‘It’s already a very powerful word. If you emphasize it too much, it might lose its subtlety.’”
That observation, subtle but profound, changed how Javed approached the line. “I softened it. I sang it with restraint,” he said. Prasoon Joshi echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the emotional weight of the word was already embedded in its very essence.
“It’s such a heavy word that if you shout it, it loses its emotional beauty,” Javed added. The rendition that made it to the final track was a balance between power and pain—between collision and quiet surrender.
On working with AR Rahman and Pritam
The singer also fondly recalled how Pritam and Rahman, two titans of the industry, often vied for his time. “I’d go work with Rahman Sir, but Pritam would pull me toward his compositions too,” he smiled.
Reflecting on that phase of his life, Javed Ali described it as “amazing”—a time when one word, one note, and one piece of advice from a meticulous actor like Aamir Khan could elevate a song into something truly timeless.
From the fragility of sheeshe ke khwab to the subtle punch of takrana, it was a masterclass in musical storytelling—one that continues to resonate with audiences, years after Ghajini’s release.
