Every Conversation Matters- 25 Years of Timeless Music

This 2026 World Music Day, there was another occasion to celebrate—the 25th anniversary of Lagaan. I sat down to listen to the conversation between the maestro A.R. Rahman, lyricist Javed Akhtar, director Ashutosh Gowariker, and producer Aamir Khan. They spoke about how the songs came into being in a time with no internet, no cell phones, no advanced technology, and no Dolby sound.

There was one discussion about Ghanan Ghanan, the first song that sets the storyline of the film. More often than not, it is interpreted as a call to the rain gods, filled with hope and a longing to rid the people of despair. Twenty-five years later, the song holds so much more meaning than just the wait for rain.

As I listened to the 6-minute-11-second composition, I was reminded of another song created by the same duo of A.R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar—Yeh Tara Wo Tara, which runs for 7 minutes and 11 seconds. Two iconic films by the same director, yet what stands out in both is the genius of composer A.R. Rahman and lyricist Javed Akhtar.

In the celebratory video marking 25 years of Lagaan, Javed Akhtar points out that what makes A.R. Rahman’s compositions special is their unpredictability. He uses Ghanan Ghanan as an example. In the same breath, I would also mention Yeh Tara Wo Tara.

Compositions like Yeh Tara Wo Tara stand apart because of the earthy feeling they evoke. Yeh Tara Wo Tara changes the chorus as the same was done with Ghanan Ghanan in Lagaan. This made me realise the magic of the music I grew up with, which focuses heavily on rhythm and a chorus that a regular listener can hum.

The song has been reprised over the years and arranged in different styles. But believe it or not, the majority of Hindi music lovers still go back to the original soundtrack.

It isn’t because they want to pay homage to A.R. Rahman or Javed Akhtar. The song, through its lyrics and melody, does exactly what its music video shows—it brings a community together. As listeners, we begin to realise the depth of its lyrics.

It definitely isn’t the Shah Rukh Khan fan in me speaking. Many people don’t like either film but absolutely love the music albums of both.

This celebration made me realise what A.R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar have been creating for us over the last 25 years. Five years after Lagaan, Swades was released. At the time, the film wasn’t fully understood. But what has remained timeless is its music.

Another aspect about the duo that remains special is that they didn’t dumb down or underestimate the listeners when it came to music. They flowed against the stream; they gave us song styles that are used to date, when it comes to composition.

Music Albums like these don’t just come one day. They have grown over many years of training, work, and well, staying honest to its core.

I am sharing the lyrics here of both the songs Ghanan Ghanan and Yeh Tara Wo Tara to understand what Javed Akhtar tries to say in this video.

Lagaan Music Album

Swades Music Album

Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghanan
Ghanan Ghanan Ghir Ghir Aaye Badra
Ghane Ghan Ghor Kaare Chhaye Badra
Dhamak Dhamak Goonje Badra Ke Danke
Chamak Chamak Dekho Bijuriya Chamke

Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa
Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa

Mann Mann Dhadkaaye Badarwa
Kaale Megha, Kaale Megha Paani To Barsaao

Yeh Tara Woh Tara

e taara woh taara har taara
Ye taara woh taara har taara
Dekho jise bhi lage pyaara
Ye taara woh taara har taara
Ye sab saath me jo hai raat me
Toh jagmagaya aasmaan saara
Ye sab saath me jo hai raat me
Toh jagmagaya aasmaan saara
Jagmag taare, do taare, nau taare, sau taare
Jagmag saare, har taara hai sharaara

his post is a part of ‘Mixtape Mood Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series

#25Years #art #blog #blog2026 #bloggersOfIndia #blogging #bloggingCommunity #blogwriter #bollywood #bookBlogger #cinema #cohost #culture #enternainment #EveryConversationMatters #ghanan #javedAkhtar #June2026 #JuneBlogPost #lagaan #loveForCinema #loveForMusic #mixtapeMoodBlogHop #music #musicLovers #musical #sukainaMajeed #sukainawrites #swades #thenightreader #timelessMusic #worldMusicDay #writing #yehTaraWohTara

Every Conversation Matters: The blurring lines of mystery and thrillers #PlotTwistBlogHop

I don’t remember the last time I didn’t enjoy a domestic thriller or a murder mystery. I have been actively reading both genres for 28 years. As time flew by, I started enjoying the subgenres of Mysteries and Thrillers. The most attractive subgenre for me was murder mystery and domestic thrillers. These two always had me by the throat. I couldn’t get my eyes off the book. I’m known to ignore calls and messages while reading these subgenres. (Sometimes a work call too)😛

Today for World Book Day ECM #PlotTwistBlogHop I will tell you of three major points that make these two sub-genres stand out for me.

World-Buiding

Now you must be thinking that’s the basic that every mystery and thriller books have. Which is not entirely true. A good murder mystery and domestic thriller doesn’t open it’s cards out front. These two sub-genres keep the characters on the front and give a past to the protagonists keeping in mind how these characteristics will get connected to the main plot. 

An example is the opening of a recent book I read “The Jasmine Murders” where the book opens with an intrguing one line but what follows is the foggy introduction of the protagonists and what the two are doing in that space. We don’t know them,we get introduced to the world of the book categorically through the main characters. As you go further in the book,you see the world through the eyes of the characters, not just making you addicted to the plot but also wonder about what’s their fate going to be in the end.

Detective-lens writing

This isn’t something I have come up with. It does exist in every good murder mystery and Domestic thriller. There is suspicion but then there is a lens that the narrator looks at the scenario in front of you. The precision is what makes you go ahead in the plot and doesn’t let you drop the book. It rather makes a detective out of you. There are things that you start noticing on your own and the author successfully makes you,the reader, part of the mystery or the domestic thriller. I want to show an example of the detective lens writing from the book “The Jasmine Murders”. Don’t miss the image below.

Then comes the final and most important aspect that ties the entire plot together and that’s the slow burn. The pacing. 

Pacing

There definitely are people who might disagree with me. But for a traditionalist like me, the pacing cannot be fast. These days we want our thrillers to be fast-paced, and that’s not what makes me enjoy the murder mystery or the domestic thriller. The pacing has to simmer. Many readers feel like it is dragging, and I respectfully disagree. Thrillers, especially domestic thrillers, need to wrap up everything neatly. Only then can we finally understand the world we were brought into through the characters. The same goes for murder mysteries. Psychological thrillers and murder mysteries are often mixed. In the subgenre of murder mystery, it is about solving who the culprit is. In a psychological thriller, it is about figuring out the big WHY.

If I had to mention one “fast-paced thriller”, it might be “The Housemaid”, but it’s a forgettable psychological thriller. That’s why domestic thrillers always call me towards them. The Housemaid falls in the domestic thriller sub genre in fact and it’s a murder mystery. 

Have I given a spoiler? Though after reading some really good thrillers and mysteries,I have absolutely no idea why the show/movie was made on the book. There is absolutely nothing extraordinary about it. 

It’s maybe the thriller snob in me speaking,but there are just too many good thrillers to get adapted to.

But yes, these are two sub genres that I always enjoy because of these three components. 

What about you? Do you agree with me or disagree? Let me know your thoughts.

This post is a part of ‘Plot Twist Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series

#bibliophile #blog #blog2026 #blogger #bloggersOfIndia #blogging #bloggingCommunity #blogwriter #bookReview #bookish #Books #domesticThriller #everyConversationMatters #fiction #march2026 #MarchBlogPost #murderMystery #mystery #plotTwistBlogHop #sukainaMajeed #sukainaWrites #thenightreader #thriller