In the 2006 Karan Johar film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK), the song "Mitwa" tells the story of a growing romantic love between friends. Depending on the context, the Hindi word "mitwa" means beloved, loved one, dear friend, soul mate or lover.
The song is written by the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio with lyrics by Javed Akhtar and was picturized on Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) and Rani Mukherjee. The song initiated Pakistani classical singer Shafqat Amanat Ali into Bollywood. Amanat has gone on to perform songs in several other Indian films including My Name Is Khan, I Hate Luv Storys, Ra.One, and Satyagraha. He was joined on "Mitwa" by singer/composer Shankar Mahadevan and Caralisa Monteiro.
The lyrics for "Mitwa" include a mix of Hindi and English and can be translated as:
Love will find a way ...
My life, my love ...
Love will find a way ...
My life, my love ...O my heart, just whisper in my ear
Which way are you headed?
What is it that you yearn for?
What is it that you seek?
All desires unsaid ... All dreams unfulfilled
Spell them all out now ...My beloved! What does your heartbeat sing?
My beloved! Don't hide from your own dreams ....On this path of life ... On this path of love ...
On this path of life ... On this path of love ...
You have set eyes on someone special ...
You keep questioning ... You keep thinking ...
Whether this is the one you pined for ...
Yes, this is the one ... She is the one for you ....
You are a thirsty traveler and she is the river ...
Why don't you accept it and say it to her ...
All desires unsaid ... All dreams unfulfilled
Spell them all out now ...My beloved! What does your heartbeat sing?
My beloved! Don't hide from your own dreams ....
Your eyes have found their destination,
But your feet hesitate to take the step.
When your heart does a merry dance,
Why do you shackle your feet?
Dance to the tune of love you fool ...
Let caution fly to the winds ...
Why would you want to deprive your soul ...
All desires unsaid ... All dreams unfulfilled
Spell them all out now ...
My beloved! What does your heartbeat sing?
My beloved! Don't hide from your own dreams ....O my heart, just whisper in my ear
Which way are you headed?
What is it that you yearn for?
What is it that you seek?
Love will find a way ... My life, my love ...
Love will, everyway, everyday
My beloved ... My beloved .... My beloved ...
Love will find a way ...
Karan Johar knew people expected a lot from the music after the success of Kal Ho Na Ho (KHNH) (2003) because the soundtracks were composed by the same music team. The Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy team experimented with "Mitwa" by evoking the spirit of a sufi rock ballad - going so far as to use the santoor and sarod, two traditional Indian instruments - and bringing it into the mainstream. According to the Hindi version of "KANK: Making of the Music", the song struck a perfect chord with the filmmakers:
Ehsaan Noorani: I think the way he [Shafqat Amanat Ali] sings the song "Mitwa", he has a wonderful voice, he really makes your hair stand on end.
Karan Johar: "Mitwa" is the song of the heart, it understands the heartbeats. "Mitwa" is the song for anyone who is in love, who wants to love.
Javed Akhtar: "Mitwa" narrates the story of one such love, the love that the characters have yet not expressed to each other, nor even accepted it themselves. This song expresses the emotions of confusion, guilt and hesitation felt by the characters.
Farah Khan: I had absolutely no worries as far as SRK and Rani were concerned, I knew they would be perfect. "Mitwa" was still a little different, we were showing the growth of the relationship between SRK and Rani.
One story of the impact of "Mitwa" relates to Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who is a big fan of the song. "When 'Mitwa' plays, my hands go out like Shah Rukh Khan's," she explained in a 2006 Hindustan Times interview. According to a 2008 The Times of India article:
Vidya has got the song ["Mitwa"] on her laptop and iPod as well. A source from the sets of Kismat Konnection says, "Whenever Vidya got stuck during any of her romantic scenes with Shahid, she would listen to this song for inspiration. Every time the song was being played, the scene got okayed in one take."
The item number stands out not only for it's beautiful music but for the sites chosen and its cinematography. While the cast and crew spent 90 days in New York City filming most of the scenes for KANK, the filmmakers used some unique sites for the "Mitwa" item song.
Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
This colorful stadium has the capacity to seat 100,000 - the 11th largest in the world and the 2nd largest football stadium.
By comparison, the largest stadium in the world in Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea which seats 150,000 and is home to the Korea DPR national football team. The largest stadium in the United States is Michigan Stadium (a.k.a. "The Big House") in Ann Arbor which seats 109,901 and his home to the Michigan Wolverines American football team.
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium was built to host the 1998 Commonwealth Games in which 70 nations competed, with 3,638 athletes participating. After the games ended, Bukit Jalil became the home to the Malaysia national football team. It also hosted the 2001 Southeast Asian Games. Bukit Jalil also hosts other important events besides football matches, including Shah Rukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded show in Malaysia on October 11, 2013.
From an audience member standpoint, the primary colors of the stadium added a strength and vibrancy to the love lyrics of the song. And as SRK strikes his signature pose in this immense stadium, it is as if to say, "my love is this big".
Park Avenue (Manhattan)
Karan Johar said that New York City was a character in the film KHNH. But in KANK, it was more in the background. He knew that the audience, however, appreciated seeing the skyscrapers of the city. So, they tried to incorporate this into the "Mitwa" item song. KANK cinematographers pointed out the challenge was shooting through a camera lens which framed the film horizontally while New York City tends to be arranged vertically. For "Mitwa", they found a camera technique that worked.
Pier 17, South Street Seaport (Manhattan)
Pier 17 is part of the historic South Street Seaport in Manhattan. In late October 2012, this area was particularly hard-hit with flooding from Hurricane Sandy. In some cases, the smaller businesses never recovered from the destruction in the aftermath of the storm.
In October 2013, Pier 17 was scheduled to be demolished and reconstructed. The old mom-and-pop establishments were to be replaced by upscale eateries and stores as part of a renovation plan featuring a $200-million, glass-walled shopping center designed by SHoP Architects.
Despite a groundbreaking ceremony held on October 27, Howard Hughes Corporation had to delay the demolition date due to the holdout of one lone tenant - Simply Seafood - whose lease wasn't scheduled to expire until 2020. In November 2013, a state Supreme Court judge ruled that Howard Hughes Corporation had the right to evict the tenant.
Neighbors continue to raise concerns about the renovation plans and as of December 2013, the demolition had not yet occurred.
Here is the video song "Mitwa" from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna as picturized on Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee.
If you liked this, check out our other Music Monday or Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna posts.