This week, we’ll talk about some famous Bollywood films that feature love in major ways so we can learn how to express this vital emotion in Hindi!<\/p>\n
This classic film stars the bombshell Rekha or \u0930\u0947\u0916\u093e (yes, she\u2019s one of those actresses who only needs one name to go by). In 2006, this film was remade starring Aishwarya Rai (\u0910\u0936\u094d\u0935\u0930\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0930\u093e\u092f), another famed beauty, in the title role. Both versions of the film are adaptations of a novel named Umrao Jaan Ada<\/em> (1905) by Hindi-Urdu writer Mirza Hadi Ruswa. The novel and the films tell the story of a young girl who is kidnapped and later becomes a courtesan in Lucknow known as Umrao Jaan. She becomes famous for her extraordinary skill in classical music, dance and, most importantly, her heart-rending Urdu poetry, or ghazals (\u0917\u093c\u091c\u093c\u0932). Here are some memorable love-related lines and words from the film\u2019s songs:<\/p>\n One of the most famous songs in the film is called, \u201c\u0926\u093f\u0932 \u091a\u0940\u091c\u093c \u0915\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948?\/\u0906\u092a \u092e\u0947\u0930\u0940 \u091c\u093e\u0928 \u0932\u0940\u091c\u093f\u090f\/Dil Cheez Kya Hai\/Aap Meri Jaan Lijiye\u201d<\/strong> or, in English, \u201cWhat is this thing (called) a heart?\/Please take my life (instead).\u201d \u201c\u0926\u093f\u0932\/Dil\u201d<\/strong> (masc. noun) or \u201cheart\u201d is arguably one of the most important words in the Hindi language. \u201c\u091c\u093e\u0928\/Jaan\u201d<\/strong> (fem. noun) can mean life or spirit but can also refer to one\u2019s sweetheart.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n Another famous song from this film is called, \u201c\u0907\u0928 \u0906\u0901\u0916\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u0940 \u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0940 \u0915\u0947\/\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u093e\u0928\u0947 \u0939\u091c\u093e\u0930\u094b\u0902 \u0939\u0948\u0902\/In Aankhon ki Masti ke Mastaane Hazaaron Hain\u201d<\/strong> (\u201cIn the intoxication of these eyes, thousands have become drunk\u201d). This phrase contains a few basic words you should know. \u201c\u0906\u0901\u0916\/Aankh\u201d<\/strong> (fem. noun) means \u201ceye\u201d and becomes \u0906\u0901\u0916\u0947\u0902\/Aankhen<\/strong> in the plural. \u201c\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0940\/Masti\u201d<\/strong> (fem. noun) is also an important word that means \u201cintoxication, passion or delight\u201d; \u201c\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\/Mast,\u201d<\/strong> a variation of \u201c\u092e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u0940\u201d can also be used in Hindi slang similarly to the way we use the words \u201cawesome\u201d or \u201ccool\u201d in American English slang.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n This popular film courageously tackles the issue of \u201chonor killing.\u201d This is a phenomenon that occurs in and outside of South Asia when a couple marry and\/or have a relationship outside of their own caste, religion and\/or community. The lovers in this film not only practice different religions, Hinduism and Islam, but they are also the children of rival political families. If you are wondering about the title, it is a combination of a rural pronunciation of \u201c\u0907\u0936\u094d\u0915\u093c\/Ishk\u201d or \u201cpassionate love\u201d and the Persian word \u201c\u091c\u093c\u093e\u0926\u0947\/Zaade,\u201d which means \u201cson\/child of.\u201d Thus, the film title as well as the title song literally mean \u201cChildren of Love.\u201d This is a good opportunity to talk about the four main words for \u201clove\u201d in Hindi:<\/p>\n \u0907\u0936\u094d\u0915\u093c\/Ishk<\/strong> (masc. noun): Originally an Arabic word, this noun connotes \u201cpassionate love\u201d with a tinge of \u201ccraziness\u201d or \u201cobsession\u201d about it. Other connotations of this word include spiritual love that is beyond physical attraction. That\u2019s why this word can be used in religious contexts (namely in Sufism, which is a spiritual strain of Islam) for the love a devotee holds for God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n \u092e\u094b\u0939\u092c\u094d\u092c\u0924\/Mohabbat<\/strong> (fem. noun): This word also comes to Hindi via Arabic and then Persian. It means \u201clove\u201d and \u201caffection\u201d and most often connotes romantic love. This word refers to a more worldly, physical type of love.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n \u092a\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0930\/Pyaar<\/strong> (masc. noun): Probably the most common word for love, at least as far as modern Hindi cinema and music go, this is a word indigenous to the subcontinent and means \u201clove\u201d and \u201caffection\u201d as well. Therefore, this word could refer to the feelings between lovers or the affection between a mother and child, etc.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0947\u092e\/Prem<\/strong> (masc. noun): A Sanskrit word, this also means \u201clove\u201d and \u201caffection\u201d and can refer to both platonic and romantic love. This word can also be used in a Hindu religious context to refer to the love a devotee has for his\/her deity(ies).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n This film is based on a 1917 Bengali novel of the same name. Devdas<\/em>\u2019 compelling story has been made into a film many times, both in Hindi and Bengali as well as other regional language cinemas in India. The most recent film was a lavish production by famed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali (\u0938\u0902\u091c\u092f \u0932\u0940\u0932\u093e \u092d\u0902\u0938\u093e\u0932\u0940) and starred a trio of huge box office names: Shahrukh Khan (\u0936\u093e\u0939\u0930\u0941\u0916\u093c \u0916\u093c\u093e\u0928), Aishwarya Rai (\u0910\u0936\u094d\u0935\u0930\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0930\u093e\u092f) and Madhuri Dixit (\u092e\u093e\u0927\u0941\u0930\u0940 \u0926\u0940\u0915\u094d\u0937\u093f\u0924). These three characters are bound together by a tragic love triangle. Now, let\u2019s look at some love-related song lyrics from the film:<\/p>\n One of the most memorable and heart-wrenching songs from the film is called, \u201c\u0939\u092e\u0947\u0936\u093e \u0924\u0941\u092e\u0915\u094b \u091a\u093e\u0939\u093e\/Hamesha Tumko Chaha\u201d<\/strong> (or, \u201cI have loved you forever\u201d). \u201c\u0939\u092e\u0947\u0936\u093e\/Hamesha\u201d<\/strong> is a very useful word meaning \u201cforever\u201d and \u201c\u091a\u093e\u0939\u0928\u093e\/Chahna\u201d<\/strong> is a verb that literally means \u201cto want,\u201d but it can also be used in a more figurative sense to mean \u201cto desire, like or love.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n The song refers to a \u201c\u092c\u093e\u0930\u093e\u0924\/Baaraat\u201d<\/strong> in the following line: \u201c\u0938\u091c\u0927\u091c \u0915\u0947 \u092c\u093e\u0930\u093e\u0924 \u0939\u0948 \u0906\u092f\u0940\/Sajdhaj ke Baaraat hai aayi\u201d<\/strong> or \u201ca splendid wedding procession has arrived.\u201d A \u201c\u092c\u093e\u0930\u093e\u0924\/Baaraat\u201d<\/strong> or, pronounced by most people as \u201c\u092c\u0930\u093e\u0924\/Baraat\u201d<\/strong> refers to the wedding procession in mostly North Indian, Hindu weddings of the bridegroom and his family and friends as they travel to the bride\u2019s house. Traditionally, the bridegroom is supposed to make the journey in style on a white horse.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Lastly, I’ll leave you with a melody from the skilled songstress Asha Bhosle (\u0906\u0936\u093e \u092d\u094b\u0902\u0938\u0932\u0947) in Umrao Jaan, <\/em>with the title role\u00a0performed by Rekha:<\/p>\n\n
Ishaqzaade <\/em><\/strong>(2012)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u0907\u0936\u0915\u091c\u093c\u093e\u0926\u0947<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Devdas <\/em><\/strong>(1955, 2002)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u0926\u0947\u0935\u0926\u093e\u0938<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Vocabulary List (<\/strong>\u0936\u092c\u094d\u0926\u093e\u0935\u0932\u0940 \u0915\u0940 \u0938\u0942\u091a\u0940):<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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