Quickies on Hu Tu Tu

October 9, 2014 — 4 Comments

You do probably know that my Hindi should suck, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping my iTunes library in order… which means I take all of the tracks from Indian movies that I’ve downloaded and try to give an English translation — after all, I should know, at least, what the title of a song means! That, of course, means that titles from hard-to-find movies/OSTs have to do with my own interpretation. One of them is Hu Tu Tu, because no one’s bothered to translate the songs… and my copy of the movie doesn’t come with subtitles in the sung parts.

Most of the titles are easy- Chhai Chhapa Chhai is classic onomatopoeic Gulzar (Jhini Mini Jhini from Maqbool gave me a clue), Jai Hind Hind (Hail, India!), Bandobast Hai (It’s the System), Ghapla Hai Bhai (It’s a Mess, Brother), and Jago Jago Jagte Raho (Get Up, Always Be Awake) seem quite straight forward. Even Yeh Nam Aankhein (These Drenched Eyes) can seem easy when compared to Itna Lamba Kash Lo Yaaron and Nikla Neem Ke Talese Nikla.

So what do those last titles mean?

I’ve sort of translated Itna Lamba Kash Lo Yaaron– since Itna refers to a Quantity (this much or so much), Lamba refers to the Length (height or otherwise), Kash means to Take a Puff or a Smoke (considering the scene), and Yaaron refers to Friends. I sorta translated it to It’s Such a Long Smoke, My Friend. And in the lyrics~

Itna lamba kash lo yaaron, dam nikal jaaye
Zindagi sulagaao yaaron, gam nikal jaaye
Yaaron, yaaron

Dam = (staying) Power
Nikal = Get out/get lost
Sulagaao/Sulagana = Ignite/set on fire
Gam = Regret

It’s such a long smoke, my friend.
Power, be gone.
Life is set on fire, my friend.
Regret, be gone.

How did I do with that?

Though, Nikla Neem Ke Talese Nikla escapes my comprehension. It doesn’t even look Hindi to me- oh, wait. Never mind. *goes crazy* Why is Talese together when it should be Tale Se? As in Nikla Neem Ke Tale Se Nikla (निकला नीम के तले से निकला) *growls*

Anyone ANYONE who is able to help me out with that title and make my life easier?- I’ll love you forever! LOL From the deep Google that I did, Nikla seemed to refer to “being out,” or “something that sticks out” and I know Neem can refer to the bitterness of the Neem tree [1] or the tree itself, and Tale is “the bottom or base of something” — Does that mean… The Bottom of the Neem Tree Turned Upside Down? LOL, I need to watch this movie again. xD

4 responses to Quickies on Hu Tu Tu

  1. Nikla neem ke tale se nikla is about the moon (and maybe allegory to something else in the movie. I saw it 15 years back, and have forgotten everything except the hot looking Tabu!)

    nikla neem ke tale se nikla
    (out of neem tree’s base)
    nikla raahu ke gale se nikla
    (out of Raahu’s throat..Raahu is a mythological character that devours the moon)
    pital ke thali se; pipal ke dali se; gol mol chand fisla
    (from the pital thaali – brass plate; from the peepal branch; slipped the circular fat moon)

  2. So many unappreciated gems in this soundtrack.

    As for your lines, they’re in the active not passive tense, so the translation is more like:

    Itna lamba kash lo yaaron, dam nikal jaaye
    Zindagi sulagaao yaaron, gam nikal jaaye
    Yaaron, yaaron

    Take such a long hit, my friends, that you can no longer breathe
    Burn down your life, my friends, so all grief is expelled
    My friends, My friends (just filler sounds)

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