Bollywood Disco Attack

Suresh Wadkar and Usha Mangeshkar - Goron Ki Na Kalon Ki

By all accounts, Disco Dancer is a terrible movie. The ’80s were a bad time for Bollywood, and making a low-budget movie about a guitar-wielding disco dancer (the title’s no lie, apparently) probably wasn’t the easiest way to buck the trend. Even some of the well-regarded movies from the era are bad - Silsila (Affair), for instance, has a couple of good songs and stars the ever-hot Amitabh Bachchan, but most of its reputation comes from the rumors, seemingly true, about how it’s more or less a true story about the affair he was having at the time, with all the participants playing themselves. But it’s a boring movie. Don’t see it, even though people will tell you it’s great.

But that has nothing to do with Disco Dancer. Really, I know nothing about the movie. The reviews I’ve read say it’s outlandishly cheesy, and not very enjoyable once you surf out the kitsch. Naturally, Bollywood movies are famous for their cheesiness, but there are so many that know they’re cheesy and ride with it that, if that’s what you’re in the market for it’s pointless to waste your time. See Don or Amar Akbar Anthony instead - both are terrific movies with great soundtracks.

OK, that still had nothing to do with “Goron Ki Na Kaalon Ki” (”Neither the Whites’ nor the Blacks’”). Usha was not as great as her sisters Asha Bhonsle and Lata Mangeshkar, but she still puts in a solid day’s work on this song. I’m not familiar with Suresh Wadkar or the composer, Bappi Lahiri, but I often get this song stuck in my head. It’s not a disco song at all, but just a ’70s-style Bollywood jammer with a sweet groove.

It doesn’t seem like you can find this on a CD anywhere, but Hamara CD (Our CD) will put it on a custom CD for you.

The lyrics are hard to find, so here they are. If people want, I can translate the rest, but the chorus means, “Neither the whites’ nor the blacks’, the world belongs to the passionate / We should live by laughing, die by laughing, just like the passionate.”

Lyrics
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.
Haan, goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.
Hans ke jeeye, hans ke marray hum jaise dilwalon ki.
Oh, goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.

Gali gali mein geet humaare gunjein subho shaam.
Hum geeton ke saudagar hain, yehi humaara kaam.
Gali gali mein geet humaare gunjein subho shaam.
Hum geeton ke saudagar hain, yehi humaara kaam.
Na sona, na chandni, geeton se humko pyar.
Na sona, na chandni, geeton se humko pyar.
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.

Verse #2: Jeena hai din chaar yahan, khush ho ke jeelay yaar.
Karna hai kuch agar tujhe, jee bhar ke karlay pyar.
Arey, jeena hai din chaar yahan, khush ho ke jeelay yaar.
Karna hai kuch agar tujhe, jee bhar ke karlay pyar.
Kya tera, kya mera, bhulaade mere yaar.
Kya tera, kya mera, bhulaade mere yaar.
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.
Hans ke jeeye, hans ke marray hum jaise dilwaalon ki.
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.
Goron ki na kaalon ki, duniya hai dilwaalon ki.