World Music Day: Irshad Kamil Recalls How 'Tum Tak' Was Born During Raanjhanaa Sessions with A.R. Rahman

On World Music Day, Raanjhanaa serves as a reminder of how music and storytelling can become one.

As the world unites to celebrate the universal language of music, back home, we are drawn once again to the unforgettable melodies of Raanjhanaa—a film that didn’t just narrate a love story, but breathed life into it through song.

Thanks to the poetic genius of Irshad Kamil's lyrics and the soulful genius of A.R. Rahman's compositions, Raanjhanaa still has a profound emotional impact on listeners twelve years after it was first released. There is no greater tribute on this World Music Day than to revisit a riveting story from the making of this legendary album—one that reveals the depth, passion, and artistry that influenced its musical legacy.

In a recent revelation, lyricist Irshad Kamil shared, “Rahman Sir’s approach to Raanjhanaa’s album was such that this is the feel, and I am giving you music about this feeling. And I wrote almost 18-20 minutes of song's and then we got a 4-minute song. That’s right, what we heard as concise tracks were, in their original form, sprawling musical pieces that ebbed and flowed like poetry in motion."

Irshad then recalled another anecdote about the popular song from the album, Tum Tak. He said, “Did you know that in the song Tum Tak, the word Tum Tak has come 412 times? Aanand Sir and I were working on the song lyrics when Rahman Sir called us and he asked me, ‘OK Irshad, have you written something about this situation?’ and I said to him, ‘Tum Tak’. After a pause, he asked, ‘Ok fine, further?’ And I said, ‘Abhi Tak itna hi likha hai.’”

Also read: World Music Day: Celebrating Sanjay Leela Bhansali for bringing Indian music to the global scenario

“Woh 18 minute aaj bhii utne hi bhaari hote hai hum par. Abhi bhii sunke aisa lagta hai ki yeh wala hissa yaa woh wala hissa ( Those 18 minutes still weigh just as heavily on us today. Even now, when we listen to it, it feels like—this part, or that part)," he reflected.

On World Music Day, Raanjhanaa serves as a reminder of how music and storytelling can become one. Over the years, Colour Yellow Productions and Aanand L Rai have gifted audiences musical gems that are not just chartbusters but emotional time capsules, from Tanu Weds Manu to Atrangi Re and beyond.