As Dev Anand croons “Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye” in Prem Pujari (1970), Waheeda Rehman makes even chomping raw sugarcane look attractive.
Today we present the lyrics and English translation of the evergreen duet “Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye” from Prem Pujari (1970). There could be no better song to welcome the change of seasons than this sweet exploration of the meaning of love…and of a haystack maze. Dev Anand plays a peace-loving son of a veteran who would rather be catching butterflies and whispering words of love to his fiancee, Waheeda Rehman, than holding a gun. However, when war breaks out, he is forced to reconcile his rosy temperament with patriotic duty, ultimately becoming a double spy for India at the expense of his family and loved ones.
But before these complexities of the spirit arise, Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand spend a few moments blissfully unaware of the perils ahead, playing hide-and-go-seek together like any fully-grown adults in love would do. Their delightful escapades among the haystacks are second only to the passionate Bollywood thrills of running around a tree. I’m a huge sucker for nature-themed flirtation in Hindi films. In “Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye,” the camera surges between haystacks on a dolly track like a sheep on the loose, anticipating every peekaboo moment of Dev Anand poking his head through the straw or tracing Waheeda’s bright red chunni across the hay to victory. And don’t miss the special moment as they are just about to kiss each other when the camera suddenly cuts to a completely random shot of a raging fire followed by a shot of a gushing water stream. Try to make sense of that adorably antagonistic symbolism, just try. Fortunately, S.D. Burman’s musical genius provides exactly the rip-roaring crescendo we needed to seam all the pieces together.
Gopal Das Neeraj’s poem was originally written as “Chandnii Mei.N Ghola Jaaye,” however Dev Anand wanted to picturize the song during daylight and hence the lyrics were changed. Lata Mangeshkar’s celestial voice is at such a peak in this song, it will make you question her divinity. Kishore Kumar balances her angelic vocals with manly aplomb, helping us gloss past the rough patches caused by Dev Anand’s crimson blazer and matching butterfly net.
Forgetting that sound travels, Waheeda Rehman sings while playfully climbing up a haystack to hide from her lover in Prem Pujari (1970).
Doesn’t this all just make you crave a pumpkin spice latte? We tragically don’t have sugarcane fields in my town, but I hope you enjoy our translation of this charming Autumn ballad and feel inspired to hit your nearest corn maze, apple orchard, or petting zoo with the one you love. Watch the video on youtube here and follow along with our lyrics and English translation below!
Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye Lyrics and Translation:
KISHORE: Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab
Take a swirl of mischievousness, and the youthfulness of flowers
Us mei.N phir milaaii jaaye thoDii sii sharaab
In those mix in a little bit of wine
Hogaa yuu.N nashaa jo taiyyaar
The intoxication you create like this
Haa.N , hogaa yuu.N nashaa jo taiyyaar, woh pyaar hai
Yes, the intoxication you create like this is love
Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab…
KISHORE: Hey hey, hey hey, hey hey, hey hey!
LATA: Ha.Nstaa huaa bachpan woh, bahakaa huaa mausam hai
It is a childhood of laughter, it is a deceptive atmosphere
ChheDo to ek sholaa hai, chhuu lo to bas shabnam hai
It teases you like an ember, but when it touches you, it feels like a dewdrop
Gaao.N mei.N, mele mei.N, raah mei.N, akele mei.N
Whether in a village or in a fair, whether upon a street or by yourself
Aataa jo yaad baar baar, woh pyaar hai
That memory that comes to you all the time is love
Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab…
LATA: Oh, la la, la la la, la la la, ah…
KISHORE: Rang mei.N pighale sonaa, ang se yuu.N ras chhalke
It is the color of liquid gold, nectar flows from its body
Jaise baje dhun koi raat mei.N halke halke
It is as if a melody is played softly at night
Dhuup mei.N, chhaao.N mei.N, jhuumtii hawaao.N mei.N
In the sunlight, in the shadows, in the playful winds
Har dam kare jo intezaar, woh pyaar hai
That which waits for you every moment is love
Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab…
KISHORE: Yaad agar woh aaye…
If you remember your love…
LATA: Oh, yaad agar woh aaye, aise kaTe tanhaaii
Oh, if you remember your love, then loneliness is eased
Suune sheher mei.N jaise bajne lage shahanaai
As if in an empty city, wedding music begins to play
KISHORE: Yaad agar woh aaye, aise kaTe tanahaai
If you remember your love, then loneliness is eased
Suune shahar mei.N jaise bajane lage shahanaai
As if in an empty city, wedding music begins to play
BOTH: Aanaa ho, jaanaa ho, jaisaa bhii zamaanaa ho
Whether you are coming or leaving, however the world may be
Utare kabhii naa jo khumaar, woh pyaar hai
That feeling of intoxication which never lifts is love
BOTH: Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab
Take a swirl of mischeviousness, and the youthfulness of flowers
Us mei.N phir milaaii jaaye thoDii sii sharaab
In those mix in a little bit of wine
KISHORE: Hogaa yuu.N nashaa jo taiyyaar
The intoxication you create like this
LATA: Woh pyaar hai
That is love
BOTH: Shokhiyo.N mei.N gholaa jaaye, phoolo.N kaa shabaab…
Glossary:
Shokh: mischievousness, prank; gholaa: solution, swirl; phool: flower, shabaab: youthfulness; thoDii sii: a little bit; sharaab: alcohol; nashaa: intoxication; taiyyaar: ready; ha.Nsnaa: to laugh; bachpan: childhood; bakahnaa: to deceive; mausam: season, atmosphere; chheDnaa: to tease; sholaa: ember; chhuunaa: to touch; shabnam: dewdrop; gaao.N: village; melaa: fair; raah: path; akelaa: alone; yaad: memory; baar baar: time to time, often; rang: color; phigalnaa: to flow, to liquify; sonaa: gold; ang: body; ras: nectar; dhun: tune, melody; raat: night; halkaa: soft; dhuup: sunlight: chaao.N: shadow, cloud; jhoomnaa: to swing; hawaa: wind; har dam: every moment; intezaar: wait; kaTnaa: to be cut; tanhaaii: loneliness; suunaa: lonely, empty; sheher: city; bajnaa: to play [an instrument]; shahanaaii: traditional wind instrument played at weddings; zamaanaa: world, earth; utarnaa: to lift, to raise; khumaar: state of intoxication
Perched on an excessively romantic pile of hay, Dev Anand presses his nose affectionately to Waheeda Rehman’s ear in Prem Pujari (1970). Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?
This lovely duet was requested by fan Roshan Sadanani. Thank you for the excellent suggestion, and keep the requests coming! For more on-screen magic between Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman, check out our translations of “Na Tum Humen Jano,” “Hai Apna Dil To Awaraa,” and “Khoya Khoya Chand!”
-Mrs. 55
Mr. & Mrs. 55 - Classic Bollywood Revisited! 
Brilliant work ……. thoroughly enjoy reading each and every post that you’ll put up …..
very difficult to thank you’ll adequately ….but here goes, thanks very much for your painstaking efforts at keeping the magic of old Bollywood alive ….. am a huge fan …..
Thank you for the kind words! Glad to have connected–and be sure to sign up for updates by email!
That’s a great description and a beautiful song!
Thanks, Eshwan!
That is what is called a happy song in our house, it never fails to put everyone in a good mood when it is played! Thanks so much for putting it up, your blog is the best!
This is totally a happy song of mine too! It’s impossible to hear it and still have a bad mood!
Great. My favourite song from the movie, though, is ‘Phoolon ke rang se….’. Sublime poetry and mellifluous music….what more can one ask for?!
The film has many gems indeed! We’re working on a translation of Phoolon Ke Rang Se, so stay tuned!
Sure, even though I relish the original lyrics penned by Neeraj ji – sublime beauty of the ‘khadi boli’ version of Hindi!
Phoolon ke rang se…….Thank You! Ashokbhatia-Ji.
Magnificent song! So sweet.
Dear Mr. & Mrs 55, That was a great song and really intoxicating; hoping for many more such treats in the future. Thnx once again, Roy
Dear Mr. & Mrs 55, A suggestion from me (given in blue): Har dam kare jo intezaar,woh pyaar hai
That which you wait forevery moment, is love That which waits for youevery moment is love Don’t you think my translation is more correct? Regards, Roy
Thanks for the comments, Roy! That’s a great question. Technically, for the line to be saying “That which you wait for every moment is love” the construction in Hindi would have to be “Har dam kare JISKA intezaar woh pyaar hai,” (the subject doing the waiting, ie. “tum/aap,” being implied) not “Har dam kare JO intezaar, woh pyaar hai” (in which the object being waited for, ie. “for you,” is implied). But that could just be the purist in me. There are many poetic licenses in Urdu-Hindi poetry that shirk grammatical norms, and both interpretations offer a slightly different, but beautiful meaning to the line!
I meant passionately charged atmosphere.
Utare kabhii naa jo khumaar, woh pyaar hai
Love is like the intoxication that never leaves you, keeps you high.