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

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.’”