RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE | Heart of the matter

Whenever I listen to some Hindi movie songs from the 1980s and 1990s, or come across a movie title of that time, my heart flutters in agitation, at all the hearty mentions of this humble organ.

For an organ that quietly goes around doing its job, of pumping fresh blood to the different organs of the body and keeping it alive and kicking (I mean beating), all the verbal abuses piled upon it by our Hindi movie lyricists can be quite insulting.

The accusations hurled at the heart by movie titles are just crazy. Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji, Dil-e-Nadaan, Dil to Pagal Hai, Deewana Dil, Dil Hai ki Manta Nahin, Dil Tera Aashiq, Dard-e-Dil, conjures up the image of a naughty, tantrum-throwing child and not the stoic organ that it is.

Honestly, if the heart had heard these, it would have gone ballistic, until a suitable apology was rendered by way of a song with appropriate lyrics, that was an ode to this hardworking organ.

But lucky for us, the humble heart didn’t take its troubles literally to heart, giving the lyricists a field day to call it all sorts of rude and some silly names. It was the focus of many movies, injecting adrenaline into many songs, making them chartbusters, so it’s but natural that the dil would be burdened with all the problems the lovers face and also be held responsible for them.

Koi Mere Dil Mein Hai — this title was quite scary, as any sign of an intruder in the heart can send one’s cardiologist into a panic mode. The title Dil Kabaddi has done injustice to cricket and hockey and all the other sports.

Dil Jo Bhi Kahe, Dil Ka Rishta, Dil Se — when I heard these movie titles, I wondered whether a heart whispers instructions in a human’s ear. Or maybe the dil forges secret relationships with other human hearts. If these titles weren’t a sufficient insult, then the shape symbolic of this organ in greeting cards is unflattering for an organ that holds the entire body in its powerful grip. The popular image of the shape of a pink heart is silly to say the least. For a no-nonsense, hardworking organ, these titles can be a sign of ingratitude by humans.

Not just heart, but even its beats have come under the spotlight. Dhak dhak karne laga, the popular song made the nation dance to its catchy beats. I felt weird when my feet didn’t tap to this tune. I kept thinking that if the rhythmic beat of the heart went awry, the human concerned would be in deep trouble. My heart set up a panicky dhak dhak at the plight of the heroine. When I heard the title Dil Dhadakne Do, I felt like saying: “Buddy, let the heart-beat, else, you will be in trouble. Big Trouble.”