How OTT is firing up our love for Hindi poetry | Sunday Special

By Pallavi: Who doesn't love good poetry? And who hasn't tried to write one?

In love, longing, angst and pain -- it is only words that provide that cathartic effect. The feelings are universal, poetry too.

And poetry has always been there in our lives -- in the form of lullabies, nursery rhymes, bhajans, heartbreak songs and more.

In India, a country of various cultures and traditions, poetry has always been part of our identity. From Ved Vyas to Kalidas, from Rabindranath Tagore to Sarojini Naidu, and Harivansh Rai Bachchan to Javed Akhtar, this country has had a rich history of poetry.

But in the hustle to be globalised and middle-class parents' ambition to teach their kids the perfect English, many traditions and art forms have got neglected. And this includes Hindi poetry. Now, more or less, limited to school textbooks.

However, this is also the time when millennials and the younger generation are obsessing over Urdu poet Jaun Elia. The relevance, the metaphors, the mystery and the appeal of Elia are ever-lasting. There are hundreds of fan pages on social media in tribute to Elia. This is probably why Pakistani writer and singer Sajjad Ali wrote: "Agar padhne lago toh Jaun padhna/Bade shayar padhe aisa padha nahi."

Urdu poetry has been in the collective psyche, mainly because of Hindi movies. Poets like Mirza Ghalib and Amir Khusro still inspire many writers in cinema. Lyricist Varun Grover had explained this earlier: “Hindi poets had purist angst. A poem should not be part of a film, they thought. But Urdu poets didn’t mind such things. Even today, a romantic song will use Urdu words."

But the times they are a-changin', and so are the rules.

In recent times, OTT platforms have given space to many creators to experiment with content. And two recent OTT releases last month have started a new trend or rather revived an old one -- our love for Hindi poetry.

Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar's crime-thriller series 'Dahaad' was released on Amazon Prime on May 12 and on May 23 came Apoorv Singh Karki's movie 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' on Zee5. One is a web series, the other a movie, but both have received a lot of appreciation for their direction, storytelling and powerful acting performances. But the thing that is common in both is the beautiful integration of Hindi poetry. And people have been raving about it.

Vijay Varma's Dahaad

Dahaad, starring Sonakshi Sinha and Vijay Varma, revolves around serial killer Anand Swarnakar. The series was inspired by the real-life 'Cyanide Mohan' case.

Set in Rajasthan, Anand's character, played by Vijay Varma, is a Hindi literature professor. This job not only makes Anand very convincing on screen, but also gives the director and the writer a chance to use Hindi poetry beautifully.

Anand leads a normal life with his wife and a child, travels to remote villages to teach kids on weekends and uses this period to kill his victims. His sacred space, where he keeps evidence of the murders, is an old van he uses as a mobile library. And on this van is inscribed a very famous rhyme we all have known since childhood, 'Machli jal ki rani hai...'.

"Machli Jal Ki Rani Hai,
Jeevan Uska Paani Hai,
Haath Lagao Toh Dar Jayegi,
Bahar Nikalo Toh Mar Jayegi,
Paani Me Daalo Toh Tair Jayegi."

You will not even think or pay attention to this in the earlier part of the series. But as the story progresses, we understand the usage of the poem, symbolising Anand's dark side. A professor, who can be nothing but harmless just like this rhyme, preying on vulnerable women, from lower castes and poor families. He is the one who is bringing the women out of safe water and then, killing them.

In another scene, we see Anand in a class. His eyes are fixed on a girl who is looking at him attentively and we know she is in love with him. With a book in his hand, he reads out Badri Narayan's 'Prempatra'.

The ghost will come
Will take out the love letter from the book
The vulture will devour it on the mountain.
If a thief comes, he will only steal the love letter
The gambler will bet on the love letter
If sages come, they will ask for love letter in charity.
If it rains, it will melt the love letter
If fire comes, it will burn the love letter
Restrictions will be imposed only on the love letter
If snake comes then it will bite love letter
If crickets come, they will lick the love letter
Insects will only bite love letters
On doomsday, Saptarshi fish and Manu
All will save vedas
No one will save the love letter
Someone will save Rome, someone will save Medina
Some will save silver, some will save gold
How will I save your love letter all alone."

Now, it might initially seem irrelevant, but the words of the poem lead us to a warning. The professor, who claims to be in love but is powerless, who wants to protect a love letter, the love, is in fact the vulture and the thief, and everyone else who does not care about this letter, this emotion. He is there to take what he needs.

Varma's powerful yet comfortable acting has given 'Dahaad' several positive reviews. And the use of 'Prempatra' has caught people's eyes. The actor also mentioned that he "loved reciting this Prem Rasa poem in Bhayanaka rasa".

Another Hindi poem that has been used in Dahaad is 'Main Bulb Aur Tu Tube Sakhi'.

'Main Bulb Aur Tu Tube Sakhi' is a poem by veteran poet Balkrishna Garg, known for his poems for children.

Sirf ek Manoj Bajpayee hi kafi hai

Manoj Bajpayee and powerful acting go hand in hand. In the recent release 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai', he has won us over with his ability to adapt to the character of lawyer PC Solanki. Based on the real-life trial of self-styled ‘godman’ Asaram Bapu, this courtroom drama follows the story of Bajpayee's character fighting the case of a minor who was sexually assaulted by the self-styled godman.

Unlike the eight-episode web series Dahaad, Sir Ek Bandaa is in a movie format, just two hours long. This limits the creators in several ways, including in the areas of dialogue and editing. But this doesn't stop the movie from bringing us an inspiring poem that some of us have read in school.

This scene comes just after Solanki, fighting a high-profile case in which, by this time, several witnesses have been murdered, loses his cool and hits his child who had gone missing for a few hours.

As he sits alone on the terrace at night, his mother walks up to him and asks: "What happened? In all these years...why do I see tears in your eyes today?" Moments later, he breaks down while talking about the minor. His mother consoles him and asks him if he remembers the poem he was taught as a kid. And both of them recite lines from Ram Dhari Singh Dinkar's 'Rashmirathi'.

Sach hai vipatti jab aati hai,
(True, when trouble comes)
Kayar ko hi dehlati hai,
(Only cowards trembles)
Soorma nahi vichlit hote
(The warrior does not get distracted)
Chran ek nahi dhiraj khote,
(They do not lose patience for a moment)
Vighno ko gale lagate hai
(They embrace the obstacles)
Kaato mein raah banate hai
(And make a path through thorns)

These lines from Dinkar's 'Rashmirathi', written in 'veer rasa', are not only presented at an apt moment but also give a much-needed push to Solanki's character at that moment.

Bajpayee is not new to Hindi literature and you will find several videos of him reciting powerful Hindi poetry, especially by Dinkar. And his every rendition has been loved by all. And we wonder if he had something to do with this scene.

Bonus: Watch Manoj Bajpayee reciting Rashmirathi

The OTT era and a way within

The launch of OTT platforms has changed the game for both creators and consumers. If it has become easier for people to find the content of their choice, it has also opened up the space for experimentation for creators.

It is probably the reason why content creators have found a space to go back to books and weave these beautiful poems into mainstream content.

The new-found philosophy of going back to the roots has also helped in creating content unique to India. Kantara, KGF, The Elephant Whisperers have grabbed national and global attention, and led us to this moment.

We have become more self-conscious as a society and willing to go back and re-learn. The return of Hindi poetry seems to be a step in the same direction. And we sincerely hope this is here to stay and not just play a cameo role.