Sudhir Kumar plays a gifted blind boy with sensitivity and finesse in Dosti (1964).
Today we present the lyrics and English translation of “Janewalo Zara Mud Ke Dekho” from the poignant film Dosti (1964). A passionate plea to recognize the humanity in our neighbors and embrace others in our community, no matter their differences, “Janewalo Zara” seems like the perfect anthem for the new realities we all live in.
You may not know this, but Mr. ’55 and I are both doctors! We trained together in the same hospital after medical school and are both working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic this month. The coronavirus has hit us all in different ways, but it has not spared anyone–regardless of race, socioeconomic class, or religion. We truly hope all our fans are staying healthy and staying at home.
We know quarantine is far from easy. During tough times, take a moment to appreciate something you have despite the many losses we all feel. For everyone who is bored in their homes, there are people who have suddenly found themselves homeless during the shutdown. For everyone driving their spouse nuts (not speaking from personal experience, *obviously*), there are people who find themselves entirely alone and secluded all day long. For everyone who has lost their job, there are people who are scared to go to their jobs for fear of becoming infected (and I don’t just mean fellow healthcare workers, but custodians and food service workers and everyone else considered “essential”). For everyone grieving the loss of doing the things they loved, there are people grieving the loss of the people they loved, and maybe could not even visit in the hospital when ill.
Mohammed Rafi is the perfect soul stirring match to vocalize the song “Janewalo Zara” from the film Dosti (1964).
Dosti (1964) is a Bollywood bromance between two teenage boys, Ramu and Mohan, who form an unlikely friendship in a time of adversity. Ramu (Sushil Kumar) has a permanent leg injury from a childhood accident and Mohan (Sudhir Kumar) is blind. Together, they demonstrate that friendship and kindness should know no boundaries. This song, with music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and vocals by the inimitable Mohammed Rafi, is a reminder about coming together as a community and ensuring our most vulnerable are not abandoned.
On that note, we hope you appreciate our English translation of “Janewalo Zara” below! And if you are able, reach out to and help your neighbors who may be hurting more than you know (from a safe social distance, of course!). We would love to hear what inspires you during this difficult time, and which classic Bollywood songs and films are help you stay sane!
Janewalo Zara Mud Ke Dekho Lyrics & Translation:
Jaanewaalo zaraa muD ke dekho mujhe Passerbys, turn around a little and look at me Ek insaan huu.N, mai.N tumhaarii taraah I am a human being, I am just like you Jisne sabko rachaa apne hii ruup se He who created everything in his own beauty Uskii pahchaan huu.N, mai.N tumhaarii taraah I share his identity, I am just like you Is anokhe jagat kii mai.N taqdiir huu.N I am the Fate of this strange world Mai.N vidhaataa ke haatho.N kii tasviir huu.N, ek tasviir huu.N I am the image sculpted by the Lord's own hands Is jahaa.N ke liye, dhartii maa.N ke liye For the sake of the world, for the sake of Mother Earth Shiv ka vardaan huu.N, mai.N tumhaarii taraah I am a boon from Shiva, I am just like you Man ke andhar chhipaaye milan kii lagan You have hidden the desire to meet in your mind Apne suraj se huu.N ek bichhaDii kiran, ek bichhaDii kiran I am a beam of sunlight separated from the sun Phir rahaa huu.N bhaTaktaa mai.N yahaa.N se vahaa.N I continue to wander, here and there Aur pareshaan huu.N mai.N tumhaarii taraah And I am worried, I am just like you Mere paas aao, chhoDo yeh saara bharam Come near me, leave all these misapprehensions behind Jo mera dukh vahii.N hai tumhaaraa bhii gham My sadness is the same as your sorrow Dekhtaa huu.N tumhe, jaantaa huu.N tumhe I see you, I know you Laakh anjaan huu.N, mai.N tumhaarii taraah I am an absolute stranger, but I am just like you
Glossary:
zaraa: a little; muDnaa: to turn around; insaan: human being; [kisi kii] taraah: like [someone]; rachnaa: to create; ruup: beauty; appearance; pahchaan: identity, recognition; anokhaa: strange, unique; jagat: world; taqdiir: Fate; vidhaataa: the Lord; haath: hands; tasviir: picture; jahaa.N: world; dhartii: earth; Shiv: Lord Shiva (Hindu); vardaan: boon, wish; man: mind; andhar: inside; chhipaanaa: to hide; milan: meeting; lagan: desire; suraj: sun; bichaDnaa: to become separated; kiran: ray of sunlight; bhaTaknaa: to wander; pareshaan: worry; chhoDnaa: to let go of; bharam: misapprehensions; dukh: sad; gham: sorrow; laakh: ten thousand; anjaan: stranger
Did you know Dosti won the 1964 FilmFare Award for Best Picture, and is #24 on our list of the top classic Bollywood films ever made?
Until next time, stay safe and #stayhomeIndia!
Mr. ’55 and I enjoying sunlight and a post-call brunch after working overnight in the ICU. Note: this picture was taken before restaurants transitioned to take-out only and masks were recommended at all times in public 🙂
– Mrs. ’55
Mr. & Mrs. 55 - Classic Bollywood Revisited! 
I heard a waterfall! I hope you write more posts to help me survive doing my virtual assignments at home!
Mohammed Rafi’s voice is a waterfall indeed! Thank you for reading!
Thank you doctor-ji for your service. I am also a physician from Tamil Nadu. I am learning Hindi in order to communicate with my patients. I saw this Dosti in 2004 for the first time when I was a student in Vienna. Since then I have become addicted to these songs and Rafi-ji is voice.
Aap ko bahut dhanyavad
Thanks for this? As doctors, do you know anything about the children being rescued from the DUMBS (Deep Underground Military Bases) across the US? Thanks!RP Ramdharry
Fantastic !
Good luck
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Thank you!
You are both hero’s and super talented too. I am amazed and in awe of both of you. Stay safe, you are very special!
Thank you for the kind message! Stay safe!
Dear Mr.& Mrs., Thank you for your new posting. I look forward to your emails as I love Hindi songs and like to learn Hindi/ Urdu. ( I am from Sri Lanka). I am a doctor too , a retired Anaesthetist in London and I learned Hindi to communicate with elderly Asian patients who are not very fluent in English.
These are trying times. I was told by a Buddhist priest, to do something which brings you joy at least for 1 hour a day, to reduce your anxiety levels these days. You know what I do ? I listen to Hindi music every night and also try to find the meaning of the words to improve my vocabulary. Your posting is like a breath of fresh air. Thank you. Keep on doing the good work. Dr. Mala Weerasinghe
Sent from my iPad
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Dear Dr. Weerasinghe, thank you for the thoughtful comment! We also find great comfort in these beautiful songs from yesteryear. We hope you’re staying safe!
From a doctor to doctor.
Dear Dr Weerasinghe,
Dear Madam,
I am very glad to hear that you had learned Hindi in order to talk to your patients and are still interested in learning Hindi/Urdu. I am also a doctor (psychiatrist at presently employed in Switzerland) from India (Tamil Nadu). I have lived a few years in Sri Lanka and have a few distant Sinhalese relatives in Sri Lanka. Thanks to my dear father I can and read speak Sinhala. My father was very particular that I learned Sinhala when I was in Sri Lanka. As a matter of fact, I did my elective period at the Colombo General Hospital in 1999 for nearly a month. I visit this site because I would like to improve my Hindi/Urdu as well. I watch Sinhala films to keep in touch with Sinhalese so that I could communicate with few Sinhala patients. As a psychiatrist, I would be really lost without the language skills. My knowledge of spoken Sinhala is better than Hindi/Urdu. Mrs and Mr 55 are doing a great service to us. All the best, mam
Thank you and God bless you both! Stay safe!
Thank you!
Respected Dr-Mr & Dr-Mrs 55,
Thank you for your inspiring work and note. May God bless you both and your co-workers and your all patients.
Naomi
Thank you for your kind message! Stay safe!
It’s a wonderful song coming from the heart. Did not know Hindi at all then, and not much more now. Yet, I have always felt the sensitivity in my heart. Thank you for the update.
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Glad you enjoyed!
Wow, Thank u both ,!not only for the healing and comforting people’s mind thru your posts -Revisits of Classic Bollywood, but also for healing physical ailments of suffering patients, especially at this time of distress .I am grateful for your postings, since my love for Bollywood songs is catered , especially to capture the meaning and background of each song.Fondly await your successive posts. Take care, Stay safe. With Warm RegardsJayanthi Swamynathan
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
Thank you for your sweet message, Jayanthi! Please stay safe!
I am from Mauritius. I live in Houston, Texas. I listen to Hindi songs and I like to read the lyrics. Thanks for your great help in helping us understand the songs. I should also like to thank both of you, doctors, for the great job you are doing in taking care of sick patients at such a trying time. Please take care of yourselves as well and be safe. May almighty God bless you both! Thanks
Mauritius is absolutely beautiful! Mrs. ’55 recently visited this year before the pandemic hit. We are glad you enjoyed the post and please stay safe!
Stay safe….may u b protected to serve humanity further in this life.
Lots of love to u both.
Thank you and stay safe!
I love learning the meaning of the lyrics. You both pick such poetic, eloquent pieces always. Thanks for this post and furthermore for your hard work, you are the real heroes.
Thank you for the kind message!
Brings back the memory of school days.
Can the featured song also be written in Hindi Script as and when possible?
Thank you for the song.
Arun.
This song is sublime – pure divinity in the music of LP and voice of Rafi. Thank you both for posting this gem in these troubling times.
We are so glad you enjoyed it! Stay safe!
To both of you:
I have been your long time fan and learning today you are physicians, am in tremendous awe of you both.
I met the great Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Lata’s Brother) over a small intimate dinner in Houston a year ago. I asked his musicians to sing a few verses from: Mohabbat aisi dharkan hai…… It was magical. We all agreed Urdu was the most poetic language in the world.
Our (only) daughter is doing a one year medical internship at Yale with a husband/wife team of neurosurgeons. She has written two papers on menangiomas and is writing a children’s book on brain cancer with her professor. She has admission at all Texas schools in fall (but wants to go to a top school out of state). She has admission at Michigan. She is on the waiting list at a few top medical schools including UCSF/Berkeley. Unfortunately, she has no interest interest in India or Hindi. I called her today and told her you were both Harvard doctors. She was amazed.
Keep up your outstanding work in medicine and desi lyrics!!!!
Warm regards,
Parag Gupte, Ph. D.
Hi Parag,
Thank you for your nice message! We wish your daughter the best of luck with her medical career. We could not agree more that the Urdu language is the most poetic and underrated in the world! Stay Safe– Mr. and Mrs. 55
Wow! Twosome, you both look stunning! Lovely. “Ha(n) tum bilkul vysee ho(n) jaisa myne sochaata!” May Allah bless you and every one.
Raveendra H
Thanks for reading! Hope you’re staying safe!
I am a doctor (orthopod), a home karaoke singer of old songs and have been reading all your commentaries for a long time. Keep up the good work and spread joy. Stay safe
Thank you for your kind words! Stay safe!
great ji
Where have you been? I have waited for your return.
A deep thank you and Mr for fighting this horrible disease together for others, risking your own health. All you health professionals are true heros. In the UK we are lobbying parliament to commerate each year the heros who are fighting for us now in our NHS. I hope the US joins us and celebrates you guys..
This song is so emotional, what do we expect when the divine voice of Rafi mixes with Majrooh Sultanpuri poetic words and LPs heartfelt music.
I read a comment on YT “when I was selling stuffs on street first time I use to sing this song” wow these old songs touch deeply every demographic wvwry where across the world
Stay safe guys, all the best
Each new post is such a remarkable treat. Future generations are lucky that this beautiful curation will live on the internet for posterity. Thank you for continuing to create this content. – An ardent fan
Dear Mr. And Mrs. 55, Thanks for sharing the perfect song during these difficult times. And thanks for playing your part as medical professionals, helping those that need it the most. Best…Cyrus
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Very appropriate message in the present situation all over the world.
Thank you.
Mr. 69
Mr. Mrs. 55, You are just amazing couple. If you happen to visit Texas, please let me know and I will arrange a get together with some fantastic fans and friends. Nagraj AWARA 832-646-8977
On Mon, Apr 6, 2020 at 4:09 PM Mr. & Mrs. 55 – Classic Bollywood Revisited! wrote:
> mrandmrs55 posted: ” Today we present the lyrics and English translation > of “Janewalo Zara Mud Ke Dekho” from the poignant film Dosti (1964). A > passionate plea to recognize the humanity in our neighbors and embrace > others in our community, no matter their differences, “Ja” >
I read a comment on this song on YouTube which said that the first 3 verses are from the devotee to the creator and the last one is from the creator back to the devotee. Lovely idea.
Also one other query: Mai.N vidhaataa
I know Dhaataa in Punjabi means God. I have never come across vidhaataa. So is it perhaps:
Mai.N Vi Dhaataa – the Vi meaning “too” so “I too am an image created by God”?
Anyway, thanks for reminding me what a great song this is, albeit almost unbearably sad. 😦