Rockstar: Did you know that the lines Kaga Re from Ranbir Kapoor’s song Nadaan Parinde are inspired by a true story?

Imtiaz Ali’s 2011 film Rockstar made everyone feel at home, vulnerable, accepted and liberated. Starring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead alongside Nargis Fakhri and Aditi Rao Hydari, the romantic drama has been set by legendary musician AR Rahman in lyrics by Irshad Kamil. This is the same duo who worked with Imtiaz in some of his most successful films.

Coming back to Rockstar, we have already decoded the song Katiya Karoon for our readers and we are back to discuss the other hit song from the film – Naadan Parinde.

What inspired Rockstar’s song Naadan Parinde?

Of this whole breathtaking song, the two lines that remained etched in everyone’s heart were surely these: “Kaaga re kaaga re mori itni araj tose, Chun chun khaaiyo maans… Arajiya re khaaiyo na tu naina more, Khaaiyon na tu naina mohe, Piya ke milan ki aas. This part is different and you should not be surprised to know that it was not written by Irshad Kamil but was taken from an existing Doha.

Written by Bābā Farīd, these two lines originally read: “Kaaga re, Kaaga re, Kaaga sab tan khaaiyo, mera chun chun khaaiyo maans.. Doee do naina mat khaaiyo, mohi piya milan ki aas”. Sounds a lot like the song, doesn’t it? Now know who Baba Farid was and why he wrote these immortal lines.

Who was Baba Farid?

Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, commonly known as Baba Farid, was a 12th-century Sufi saint and poet from Punjab, India. Known for his piety and dedication, he played a revolutionary role in the spread of Sufism. Baba Farid’s teachings revolved around love, humility and the importance of inner spiritual transformation. His poetry, written in Punjabi and Persian, reflected themes of divine love, unity and the search for truth.

Baba Farid is also credited with popularizing the devotional musical form Qawwali. Some of its words (shabad) and verses (shlok) can also be found in the holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. But what pushed him to write this Kaaga Doha?

Baba Farid was said to often hang upside down from a well and do harsh penances (tapasya) since Hath Yog. At the age of 93, when he had no energy or strength left in his body, many crows gathered around him. Baba Farid said to these crows: “If you want, you can eat all the flesh from my body but just leave my eyes because they always hope to see their beloved again.

In the case of Baba Farid, this beloved was neither earthly love nor a person. It was divine love, his beloved God and his Prophet. In the context of the film, we all know what hope made Ranbir Kapoor’s character sing this tune.

When Irshad Kamil admits that his songs are rooted in literature

From this Naadan Parinde to the song of Sultan Jag Ghoomeya, Kamil, in an old interview with PTI, had confessed that without literature, creating good songs was almost impossible for him. He shared, “I consider the involvement of poetry in Bollywood albums as a welcoming gesture. In terms of vocabulary, I experiment a lot. I think that, whatever the writer, reading is essential, without reading good literature, you cannot write well. Whether it’s Faiz, Ghalib, Bulle Shah… poetry only enriches the words.

Unlike most Imtiaz Ali films, Rockstar opened to mixed reviews but ultimately became a cult classic.