Gulzar's ‘Dhoop Aane Do’ sung by Vishal Bhardwaj and Rekha Bhardwaj appeals for normalcy

It has been close to four months since the lockdown was imposed and we found ourselves stuck at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this period, many of us would have fought the urge to step out and start living life normally, like we did before. This desire for normalcy has been expressed in a very poetic fashion in the song ‘Dhoop Aane Do’ written by Gulzar and set to music by Vishal Bhardwaj. 

Sung by Vishal and his wife Rekha Bhardwaj, ‘Dhoop Aane Do, in its literal sense means to let the sunlight in. The words of the song poetically appeal for things to come back to normal as we allow the sun of hope to pour in and illuminate all that was dark before. The lyrics are simple and yet deep, which is so characteristc of Gulzar's craft. In March, the lyricist had penned a poem asking people to stay at home. 

Vishal and Rekha's moving rendition has added to the poignant appeal of the lyrics. Vishal's minimalistic use of music gels well with the song. 

‘Dhoop Aane Do’ has been shot indoors due to the lockdown. The chorus singers and all the musicians have been give footage in the video of the song, which has been cleverly edited, making it difficult to believe that it was shot indoors. Using the smoke spread by BMC's fogging machines to create a visual effect is a fine example of how the makers of the video have utilised whatever resources were available to them. 

Watch the song: