The thing about unrequited love, astutely put out by this song, is that in the end it comes down to the happiness of the other than the self. There is no toxic jealousy, there is no platform for possession, there is simply an oscillation between longing and acceptance. The song distinguishes the untimely but ultimate acceptance of separation. The visible heartache Khan suffers through until the time of his marriage beckons, when Koirala feels the brunt of it.
It wasn’t just Khan’s character wishing for Koirala, it was every other person yearning for the acceptance of their love.Ī lot of Dil Se’s critique stems from it being heralded as a movie that condoned unwarranted persuasion and there isn’t a blanket lie to it, however what we figure out by the time the movie ends is the mutual love both protagonists share. It was the honesty and the emotion in his voice that made the whole difference. But what really stood out was Narayan’s voice. But if we break the tune down into elements, there would primarily be five: Udit Narayan’s voice, Manisha Koirala’s reluctance, Shah Rukh Khan’s intensity, AR Rahman’s flawless music, the lyrics of the song. I had never heard a song that was so moving that it literally tore up hearts that weren’t even in mourning. I had never before heard a song dedicated to longing that had this much sincerity to it.
And while everyone was agog by the sheer ingenuity of Chaiyyaan Chaiyyaan, the dark horse of this movie was the ballad E Ajnabi. It is soulful, it is touching, it is heartwarming, it is tragic, and it is memorable. I have always believed that Dil Se has one of the most hauntingly beautiful official soundtracks in Indian cinema.