Saadda Haq
Encyclopedia
"Saadda Haq" is a song composed by A. R. Rahman
for the 2011 Indian musical film Rockstar
.The film stars Ranbir Kapoor
, Nargis Fakhri
in leading roles and is directed by Imtiaz Ali
, known for his previous romantic caper Jab We Met
. The song features vocals by Mohit Chauhan
and additional vocals by Clinton Cerejo
and also song also features Orianthi
, as a guitarist
..
Saadda Haq
has a powerful set of lyrics with a rebellious tone. The Hook (music)
'Sadda haq aithe rakh' repeated many times throughout the song is in Punjabi
language. It contextually means "Keep our right back from where you took it away".
and Mohit Chauhan) agreed that they needed a fantastic lead guitarist to justify the tempo and the lyrics of the song. While Rahman and director Imtiaz Ali
had short-listed several Indian and international musicians, they had Orianthi
on the top of their list, given her incredible body of work and her huge international success. Rahman checked with her agent in Los Angeles and even met Orianthi during one of his visits there. He made her hear the track and Orianthi immediately agreed to be a part of the film, hence Rahman's first collaboration with Orianthi.
.
performing infront of a live audience. The video was shot mainly at the Norbulingka monastery in McLeod Ganj
, Dharamsala
and at Central Park in Connaught Place
, Delhi
, showcasing the band performing to a packed audience. A group of 200 performers from Shimla who had worked with Imtiaz Ali during the shoot of "Yeh Ishq Hai" from Jab We Met
teamed up for "Saadda Haq" too. The group that specialises in the folk dance of Tibet had reportedly left the director impressed by their talent. "While shooting for Rockstar in Dharamshala for a concert sequence for Saadda Haq, Imtiaz suggested calling the same group of performers from Shimla with whom he had worked during Jab We Met,” says a source from the production team."
Ranbir had travelled to Chennai
and stayed with Rahman for a week in order to "feel the song imbibe and absorb it" so that when he finally performs it, the song would be an "extension of his personality."
"Saadda Haq" was initially supposed to be a song that plays in the background whenever Ranbir Kapoor exhibited his rockstar mannerisms. Says a source, "Imtiaz [Ali] was supposed to shoot this as any other regular number, in fact a song sung by a bunch of chorus artists. But during the process of shooting when the locals of Dharamsala
heard the song, they all ganged up to convince Imtiaz to convert this into a live song. The song speaks for anyone who is asking for their rights. So especially those groups of people who have been fighting for a cause [to free Tibet
] over so many years felt like it was something they have wanted to say for all these years. The locals stepped up and participated in the shoot and involuntarily became part of the song. They used to shoot for 10 hours straight without any money, because they felt like it was their song." So the song, which was to be shot at one stretch in Dharamsala, then came down to Delhi
and Mumbai
, where the director shot with local rock bands too. Adds the source, "Ranbir himself was pretty surprised with the massive crowds who used to gather when the song was played. In fact, he made sure he took notes from some local Mumbai rock bands, to understand and adopt to their style of singing."
) in the movie and is no short of being an anthem in the coming days, especially in case of protests. It takes a bit (1.30 minutes) of time to set the mood and the high point comes in the form of some bold lyrics thrown at society with Mohit Chauhan in a never-heard before high pitched voice which leaves the listeners stunned. The highly energetic Electric Guitar (Kudos to Rahman for selecting Orianthi) and Drum Beats (Oscar Seaton) provides an adrenalin rush and sweeps you off your feet.
, Dharamsala
. People waving the Free Tibet flag in the backdrop was shown in the song video. This triggered a dispute between Central Board of Film Certification
and Imtiaz Ali when the Board ordered Ali to blur the flag and free Tibet slogan before the film hit the theatre, but the director refused to do it. Imtiaz Ali said, "I am not concerned at all. I have been out of India for long and don’t know whats going on, but I don’t see anything controversial in the intention portrayal in the movie. The purpose of the movie is not to make any social message, its more about personal freedom rather than a geographical issue." However, Ali had to remove the sequence from the video to get the film's censor done. Later an official from the Board revealed: "The Censor Board chief explained to them that all the cuts were made by the director voluntarily,and he had the option of appealing to a review board which he didn’t do. There were certain discussions between (Imtiaz) Ali and the Board regarding retaining a kiss between two actors (Ranbir and Nargis), but there have been no disagreement regarding deleting the flag from the frames." Deletion of the Tibetan flag from the video caused wide protests in Tibet
, Dharamsala
and Chennai
.
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
for the 2011 Indian musical film Rockstar
Rockstar (2011 film)
Rockstar is a 2011 Hindi musical film directed by Imtiaz Ali, starring Ranbir Kapoor and debutant Nargis Fakhri, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. Eros International Ltd. co-produces the film with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd...
.The film stars Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...
, Nargis Fakhri
Nargis Fakhri
Nargis Fakhri is an American fashion model and actress. She made her feature film debut in Rockstar.-Early Life:Fakhri was born in Queens, New York to a Pakistani father and a Czech mother.-Career:...
in leading roles and is directed by Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali (director)
Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director, actor and writer. His 2007 film Jab We Met was a huge success in India. His 2009 film Love Aaj Kal was a bigger success and was declared a super-hit by Box Office India.His recent movie Rockstar has been declared successful at the box office.- Early life...
, known for his previous romantic caper Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...
. The song features vocals by Mohit Chauhan
Mohit Chauhan
Mohit Chauhan is an Indian pop and playback singer, most known for his romantic ballads. He started his career singing Indian pop songs with the band Silk Route, which released two albums, Boondein and Pehchan. The song "Dooba Dooba" became a rave in the Indipop music scene. However, the band...
and additional vocals by Clinton Cerejo
Clinton Cerejo
Clinton Cerejo is known for his contributions in the music department for Indian films. His range of work includes playback singing, vocal arrangements, musical arrangements, background scores, music programming, production...
and also song also features Orianthi
Orianthi
Orianthi Panagaris , better known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She is perhaps best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated This Is It concert series. Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8...
, as a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
..
Saadda Haq
Saadda Haq
"Saadda Haq" is a song composed by A. R. Rahman for the 2011 Indian musical film Rockstar.The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri in leading roles and is directed by Imtiaz Ali, known for his previous romantic caper Jab We Met...
has a powerful set of lyrics with a rebellious tone. The Hook (music)
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
'Sadda haq aithe rakh' repeated many times throughout the song is in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
language. It contextually means "Keep our right back from where you took it away".
Background
According to Rahman, Rockstar is "a character driven film" and hence he had to make use of rock music and guitars. While working on "Saadda Haq", the team (Rahman, Imtiaz, Irshad KamilIrshad Kamil
Irshad Kamil is an Indian Hindi/Urdu poet and lyricist. He has written songs for many Bollywood hits like Jab We Met, Chameli, Love Aaj Kal and Rockstar .-Early life:...
and Mohit Chauhan) agreed that they needed a fantastic lead guitarist to justify the tempo and the lyrics of the song. While Rahman and director Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali
Imtiaz Ali is a former West Indian cricketer who played in one Test against India in 1976....
had short-listed several Indian and international musicians, they had Orianthi
Orianthi
Orianthi Panagaris , better known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She is perhaps best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated This Is It concert series. Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8...
on the top of their list, given her incredible body of work and her huge international success. Rahman checked with her agent in Los Angeles and even met Orianthi during one of his visits there. He made her hear the track and Orianthi immediately agreed to be a part of the film, hence Rahman's first collaboration with Orianthi.
Recording
Rahman recorded the song in his Los Angeles studio. Mohit Chauhan says, "I spent an entire day trying to record Sadda Haq with Rahman saab. But couldn't get it right. The next day, I did a take when he was yet to arrive and it sounded perfect." The process took six hours, while Imtiaz witnessed the entire process through SkypeSkype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
.
Music video
The music video has Ranbir KapoorRanbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...
performing infront of a live audience. The video was shot mainly at the Norbulingka monastery in McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj, McLeodGanj, or Mcleodganj, is a suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres ....
, Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
and at Central Park in Connaught Place
Connaught Place
Connaught Place is a place name of various places in the world:* Connaught Place, New Delhi in Delhi, India* Connaught Place, Hong Kong in Central, Hong Kong* Connaught Place, London in London, England* Connaught Place, Dehradun in Dehradun, India...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, showcasing the band performing to a packed audience. A group of 200 performers from Shimla who had worked with Imtiaz Ali during the shoot of "Yeh Ishq Hai" from Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...
teamed up for "Saadda Haq" too. The group that specialises in the folk dance of Tibet had reportedly left the director impressed by their talent. "While shooting for Rockstar in Dharamshala for a concert sequence for Saadda Haq, Imtiaz suggested calling the same group of performers from Shimla with whom he had worked during Jab We Met,” says a source from the production team."
Ranbir had travelled to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and stayed with Rahman for a week in order to "feel the song imbibe and absorb it" so that when he finally performs it, the song would be an "extension of his personality."
"Saadda Haq" was initially supposed to be a song that plays in the background whenever Ranbir Kapoor exhibited his rockstar mannerisms. Says a source, "Imtiaz [Ali] was supposed to shoot this as any other regular number, in fact a song sung by a bunch of chorus artists. But during the process of shooting when the locals of Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
heard the song, they all ganged up to convince Imtiaz to convert this into a live song. The song speaks for anyone who is asking for their rights. So especially those groups of people who have been fighting for a cause [to free Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
] over so many years felt like it was something they have wanted to say for all these years. The locals stepped up and participated in the shoot and involuntarily became part of the song. They used to shoot for 10 hours straight without any money, because they felt like it was their song." So the song, which was to be shot at one stretch in Dharamsala, then came down to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, where the director shot with local rock bands too. Adds the source, "Ranbir himself was pretty surprised with the massive crowds who used to gather when the song was played. In fact, he made sure he took notes from some local Mumbai rock bands, to understand and adopt to their style of singing."
Reception
The song received immense critical praise. Mitesh Saraf of Planet Bollywood wrote, "It’s mad, it’s wild, and it’s strangely catchy, Saadda Haqq, Aithe Rakh portrays the anguish and audacious Janardan (the protagonist of the movie, played by Ranbir KapoorRanbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...
) in the movie and is no short of being an anthem in the coming days, especially in case of protests. It takes a bit (1.30 minutes) of time to set the mood and the high point comes in the form of some bold lyrics thrown at society with Mohit Chauhan in a never-heard before high pitched voice which leaves the listeners stunned. The highly energetic Electric Guitar (Kudos to Rahman for selecting Orianthi) and Drum Beats (Oscar Seaton) provides an adrenalin rush and sweeps you off your feet.
Controversies
Major parts of the song video was shot at the Norbulingka monastery in McLeod GanjMcLeod Ganj
McLeod Ganj, McLeodGanj, or Mcleodganj, is a suburb of Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It has an average elevation of 2,082 metres ....
, Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
. People waving the Free Tibet flag in the backdrop was shown in the song video. This triggered a dispute between Central Board of Film Certification
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
and Imtiaz Ali when the Board ordered Ali to blur the flag and free Tibet slogan before the film hit the theatre, but the director refused to do it. Imtiaz Ali said, "I am not concerned at all. I have been out of India for long and don’t know whats going on, but I don’t see anything controversial in the intention portrayal in the movie. The purpose of the movie is not to make any social message, its more about personal freedom rather than a geographical issue." However, Ali had to remove the sequence from the video to get the film's censor done. Later an official from the Board revealed: "The Censor Board chief explained to them that all the cuts were made by the director voluntarily,and he had the option of appealing to a review board which he didn’t do. There were certain discussions between (Imtiaz) Ali and the Board regarding retaining a kiss between two actors (Ranbir and Nargis), but there have been no disagreement regarding deleting the flag from the frames." Deletion of the Tibetan flag from the video caused wide protests in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
and Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.