Apropos the Adipurush dialogues controversy, there’s been one song that has been playing in my mind for the past week or so: ‘Pal pal hai bhaari’ from the movie Swades (2004).

The song depicts a play being enacted in the village with a scene from the Ramayana where Sita is in Ravan’s captivity and calling out for Ram.

In the song, Ravan taunts her, saying:
“Jinka varnan karne mein thakti nahi ho tum yahan
Ye batao woh tumhaare Ram hai is pal kahaan”
(You keep taking this Ram’s name, where is this Ram of yours now?)

Sita’s response is powerful:
“Ram hirdaye mein hai mere
Ram hi dhadkan mein hai
Ram meri aatma mein
Ram hi jeevan mein hai
Ram har pal mein hai mere
Ram hai har shwaas mein
Ram har aasha mein mere
Ram hi har aas mein…”
(Ram is in my heart, my heartbeat, my soul, my life, every moment of my life, every breath I take, all my hopes and all my desires)

But the lines I cannot forget are sung by Mohan Bhargav – the character essayed so memorably by Shah Rukh Khan.
“Ram hi toh karuna mein hai
Shanti mein Ram hai
Ram hi hai ekta mein
Pragati mein Ram hai
Ram bas bhakto nahi
Shatru ki bhi chintan mein hai
Dekh tajj ke paap Raavan
Ram tere mann mein hai
Ram mere mann mein hai
Ram mere mann mein hai
(Ram is in compassion, in peace, in unity and in progress. Ram is not just in the devotee’s minds but also of his enemy’s. If you look closely Ravan, Ram is in your mind too, like he is in mine)

And then this final stanza:
“Ram toh ghar ghar mein hai
Ram har aangan mein hai
Mann se Raavan jo nikaale
Ram uske mann mein hai”
(Ram is in every house, every courtyard. Whoever removes the Ravan from their mind, will find Ram)

Such beautiful, evocative thoughts expressed in such simple language.

I found something else remarkable about this song – something that didn’t strike me when I first heard it.
– The song’s lyricist: Javed Akhtar (a self-proclaimed atheist)
– The music director: The incomparable AR Rahman
– The main actor: Shah Rukh Khan

India is really special, na?