Delhi

The Dilli playlist

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

ओ तेरी पैनचड़!!  Its been 11 months that I have not been to Delhi. And it has freaked me out so much that I have been listening to Dilli songs since I woke up (or rather realized). Why? Oh Caamaawn! Its Dilli! No, its not a rape capital. First and foremost, you need to understand that men don’t get a license to rape just because they are in Delhi. So, stop addressing Delhi as a “Rape Capital”. Why Dilli is special? I have my reasons and Delhi has its own.

PS – Dilli is the nickname for Delhi, in case you are wondering 😛

Delhi has been the core to many cultures from all over India. People have migrated from everywhere and anywhere to get a part of it. A capital so diverse yet binds everything together. We have all complained about the hot summers while slurping the ice lollies; checked out every possible person while sipping adrak chai (ginger tea); those camp fires with neighbors every January. Imagine those long drives on the highways, pouring heavily or eyeing your crush from the terrace. The shopping sprees in Sarojini, Lajpat and Janpat. The monuments who have witnessed it all, be it the Mughal romance or the hiding-from-the-parents romance. The chaat stalls flooded with the requests of another extra papdi or the quarrels where the entire colony rushes in. The ladies bargaining and oh! never forget the free dhaniya and mirchi (coriander and chilies) while the gents laughing out loud on the terrace with every sip of rum as the night settles in. Dilli ki kudiyaan te Munde (Delhi’s girls and boys), Dhabbas on the highways or just the highways, Dilli ka jugaad, the big fat weddings, Delhi University – South and North campus and Oooh! Delhi’s favorite dailouge – “Tu jaanta nahi mera baap kaun hai?” (you dont know who my father is)! …and there is much more to it… Now that I have been listening to Delhi songs for so long, time for another playlist people!

Presenting to you the दिल्ली playlist! 18 songs to fall for Dilli, all over again.

18. Main toh Dilli se dulhan laya re (Film: Jhoola – 1941)

This is a rare Dilli song from 1941 before our Independence.

 

17. Kya Dilli kya Jalandar (Film: Pyaar deewana hota hai)

 

16. Dilli da sharab (Artist: Aman Amanat)

The typical Dilli song played during weddings! And yes, people do dance on it while drunk on dilli da sharab!

 

15. Dilwalo ki Dilli (Band: Ahhiran)

Yes. We are the studs! We don’t care what people think about us, we are just cool as Antarctica! 😀

 

14. Dilli (D’elusive)

दिल्ली ने बनाया मन्ने… चू ना बना तू | 😀

 13. Dilli (Film: Mishawr Rawhoshyo | Artist: Arijit Singh)

The lyrics are so cute 🙂 So is Arijit Singh 😛

 

12. Chalo Dilli (Film: Chalo Dilli | Artist: Raja Hasan)

 

11. Dilli ke Deewane (Badshaah ft. Honey Singh)

सोला आने सच है ये बात, जुड़े जज़बात मेरे दिल्ली के साथ ❤

 

10. Ghagra (Film: Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani)

TV pe breaking news haye re mera Ghagra, Bagdad se leke DILLI via Agra! 😛

 

9. Chandni Chowk to China (Artist: Bohemia ft. Akshay Kumar)

किथे चलिये गोभी दा फूल बनके कुड़ीए बदामी !!

 

8. Delhi Destiny (Film: 99)

This is one of my favorite song! Such a happy song it its! Makes me dance (and yes! I am dancing… tuu ruu ruuu)

 

7. Dilli (Artist: Rabbi Shergill)

और मैं हूँ.. तू है.. और है दिल्ली बस 🙂

6. Delhi sheher mein maaro ghaagro (Artist: Ila Arun)

 

5. Dilli wali Girlfriend (Film: Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani)

Oh yes yes! How can I miss Ranbir Kapoor ❤

4. Chor Bazari (Film: Love Aaj Kal)

तू ना बदली मैं ना बदला दिल्ली सारी देख बदल गयी… This song never fails to bring a smile on my face 🙂

 

3. Dilli ki Sardi (Film: Zameen)

प्यार तेरा दिल्ली की सर्दी 😉

 

2. Dilli 6 (Film: Delhi 6)

 

1. Dilli (Film: No One Killed Jessica)

मेरा काट कलेजा दिल्ली ले गयी !!

Delhi is home ❤

 

A Look Back as a Kid

Today while coming back home, with my earphones on and sipping the Zafrani Chai and walking down between the residential complexes and empty parking lots; I saw a kid aged not more than 5 playing with her father. It brought a smile to my face seeing the father letting his kid catch him so easily. Ironically, in the car beside them, was a couple with their son who upon being cranky was shoved with an iPad by the irritated-cranky parents (genes my friend! GENES)! Suddenly it dawned on me, what happened to all those amazing games we played as kids when cool gadgets were somewhere else still on the papers waiting for their approvals!

Being an Indian, I grew up in the typical colony of Delhi, where load shedding was an excuse to get out of our homes just to play again!
I remember myself as a very shy kid and after moving to a new house, I stayed for almost a year inside because making friends was something I was shit scared of, though I would spy on them through my window. Earlier my elder brother used to take me to this park (somewhere far) where he played cricket while I would just crush leaves and flowers and and color the walls of the park with them, or better, make tiny homes with the soil specially after rains.
Anyways, so one day, eventually my mother took me to the park forcefully (i just did not want to get out of my comfort zone) and introduced to one of the girls playing there. I was just talking to her and my hoshiyaar Maa just vanished, !POOF! That’s how I started interacting with strangers and that’s how it melted the ice. 🙂
Since that day there was not a single evening when I would not get out of the house and be with my friends. Clock strucking 6 (and 5 in winters) was a bliss, until I moved out of Delhi for college.

  • “WHAT TO PLAY TODAY” would be the biggest question back then (bigger than your salary expectation questions in interviews) and it did not matter if we had the right equipment or not; I mean we have even played cricket with those ‘swimming pool balls’ and ‘chappals’ as our bats!

  • The time when even getting a treat of those black ‘chatpat’ golis were such a celebrated thing!

  • We were professional babysitters to those who needed to go to the local store to get some samosas or rather we were paid to get samosas for their unexpected guests, and our fees, of course! one samosa! 😀

  • Festivals were more well planned than planning our life and started 1 week prior to the date, be it Diwali, Holi or Christmas!

  • Singing songs (we sucked at singing songs but nevertheless) and dancing to the same ones; we were our own MP3s!

  • Car windows used to be the canvas to scribble our hearts out, dogs were petted and named.

  • The poor grass in the park, suffered a lot!

  • When every decision of life was made by ‘In Pin Safety Pin’

  • There was more warmth in sharing a cold ice-cream, that is a scoop divided by minimum 10 of us!

Not a single day was boring, we somehow found new interesting ways to live it. Each day. Everyday.
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Happy Birthday Shreya Nigam!

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

Happy Birthday Darling! :*

I know its still your birthday back in the States! Hence, I am not late. School would not have been much fun without you and Aarushi Dayal! The last benches and tables would still be intact with no scribbling on it. I still miss your ‘Kathi Rolls’ and I believe most of our classmates do. 😉 All the school bunks, those shopping sprees, those ‘group discussions’ (I would have called it bitching, but hey! they were too well discussed) would have been not there at the first place. I am glad I found you guys! You made the last two years of my school filled with memories of bunks, how to bunk, tips for bunking, how to save your butt if caught while bunking and more bunks! There’s so much to it, that I could have written a well versed book on it!

Anyways, Happy Birthday to you. Stay Blessed! Get a good-well-paid job and then you can adopt me and Aarushi and ‘beer‘ our expenses (you know we don’t demand much)! 😛

An Ode to Shreya Nigam. 🙂 Naam toh suna hi hoga!