The iconic Bollywood track ‘Beedi Jalaile’ from the movie ‘Omkara’ almost missed out on one of its defining voices. Renowned singer Sukhwinder Singh recently opened up about how a minor recording session unexpectedly transformed into one of Hindi cinema’s greatest duets Sukhwinder was never actually scheduled to record the main track. He had initially arrived at the studio for a completely different piece of music.Talking to IANS, the singer revealed, “Main iss gaane ka hissa hi nahi tha pehele. Main gaya tha ye ‘Dham dham dharam dharaiya re, sab se bade ladaiya re, omkara hey omkara’ gaane.” ( I was not a part of this song initially. I went to sing ‘Dham dha dharam dharaiya re, sab se bade ladaiya re, omkara hey omkara’. )The trajectory of the song shifted entirely during the session due to a spontaneous suggestion from legendary lyricist Gulzar. Sukhwinder detailed the exact moment the decision was made:“Gulzar sahab ne Vishal ji ko kaha ki, isko ek line de do, mere khayal se bass istna hi kafi hai, ‘Naa ghilaaf, Naa lihaaf, Thandi hawa bhi khilaf Sasuri’ bass phir vapis ek line aur ‘Itni sardi hai kisi ka lihaaf lei lay, Jaa padosi ke chulhe se aag lei lay,’ ye hai unke aur pass mai take bass, abb unhone kha ek kaam karo pura hi gaana ga do, to aise duet ban gaya.” (Gulzar sahab asked Vishal ji to give me one line in the song, he thought that’s probably enough, ‘Naa ghilaaf, Naa lihaaf, Thandi hawa bhi khilaf Sasuri’. Then they added, ‘Itni sardi hai kisi ka lihaaf lei lay, Jaa padosi ke chulhe se aag lei lay,’ ye hai unke aur pass mai take bass, then he finally said, “Do one thing, just sing the whole song”. And that’s how this duet was made. )
Praise from the reality show judges
This fascinating behind-the-scenes story deeply moved the panel of judges on the music reality show where Sukhwinder shared the anecdote. Shreya Ghoshal spoke highly of his spiritual connection to music, saying:“Sukhi ji ki awaz mai ibbadat hai voh jab gaate hai ishwar ke liye gaate hain bass.” (There is devotion in Sukhi ji’s voice; when he sings, he only sings for God. )Echoing her sentiments, fellow judge Vishal Dadlani expressed his immense respect for the veteran singer’s talent as well: Ye awaaz ibaadat karne layak hain” (This voice is worthy of worship. )Both judges agreed that his vocal prowess brings a divine element to every track he touches, cementing his status as a true legend of the industry.
