Ek Je Chhilo Raja song: 'Tu Dikkhe Na' a philosophical song with superficial visuals

'Tu Dikkhe Na' song from Srijit Mukherji’s Bengali film Ek Je Chhilo Raja comments on the narrative of the film. The song is a semi-classical yet folk composition by Indradip Dasgupta.

It begins with Raja Mahendra Kumar Choudhury (Jishu Sengupta) taking a dip into the Ganges during dusk and emerging as the Sanyasi (Bhawal) at sunrise. The contrast in the visuals indicates a new beginning. The Sanyasi is then seen to be roaming around with a group of sadhus with wonder in his eyes. He drinks and smokes up in the crematorium with them. Barely clad, he walks in the desert and mountains in his quest for spirituality.

Parallely, his sister (Jaya Ahsan) is seen to be looking for him at various ghats with his photograph, in vain. Sanyasi, on the other hand, returns to the ghat in his estate of Bikrampur after he is done wandering with his fellow sadhus. While he gets into a state of meditation, local people take notice of him and his uncanny similarity with the King, who has long been presumed dead by his people.

The song ends with an elderly family member coming to the ghat to discover the true identity the Sanyasi, who, in deep meditation, doesn’t take notice of all the developments around him.

The philosophical lyrics by writer Srijato Bandopadhyay primarily hint at the Sanyasi’s quest for truth and the almighty and describe how the mortal world is immersed in illusions. The phrase ‘Tu Dikkhe Na’ make sense, on one hand, as the Sanyasi continues his search for the almighty; and on the other hand, his sister doesn’t get a glimpse of him in her pursuit.

The shift from the minor notes to the major ones in the composition lends a different dimension to the song. Also, the use of Arabic tune goes well with the portrayal of the Sanyasi’s rustic lifestyle. Singers Ishan Dutta brings the soul inherent in it, while Kailash Kher gives the song a Sufi flavour.

However, the visuals of the journey of the group of sadhus seems superficial at times; especially when they walk in the desert or the mountains, with little fatigue or even an enthusiasm for the unknown. Perhaps, instead of showing their close gestures, the focus on their journey with a different cinematic composition, could have made the song more interesting to watch.

Ek Je Chhilo Raja is due to be released on 12 October.

Watch the song below: