Dekha na, haye re, Socha na, haye re, rakh di nishane

pe jaan.

This evergreen track from Bombay to Goa may have been picturised on Amitabh Bachchan 30 years ago but today, one can visualise the grooving dancer as well as suave corporates folding up their sleeves at a local nightclubs for a jig to this number. That’s the equalising power of music.

Taste in music is chiefly individual but every now and then a track manages to bridge this gap. A recent example would be Dhan Te Nan from Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey. Irrespective of whether you log on to Facebook, walk into a store or ride in an auto-rickshaw, you’re likely to find patronage for it.

It derives from the background music commonly used for action sequences in the 1970s-80. Sukhwinder Singh, in his earthy vocals, jams with a very contemporary Vishal Dadlani to music composed by Bhardwaj himself.

The lyrics, street lingo, add to the charm and Singh insists that that’s where the key lies. “Dhan te nan says something to the audience. The words Aaja aaja dil nichode, raat ki matki todein, koi goodluck nikalein, aaj ghullak to phode— are a call to come out, shed your inhibitions and celebrate, and everyone likes to do that,” says the singer. “Such songs also become popular because of their simple music—they sound the same even when sung without an orchestra. Beedi jalai le from Omkara and Amitabh’s classic Khaike Paan

Banaraswala too strike the same chord,” he adds.

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