Nok Jhok – Chhapaak (January 2020)

Chhapaak se appears an acoustic ballad that seems to be in familiar territory! Siddharth Mahadevan tries his best to lift up the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy composition comprising Gulzar’s lyrics.

Baat baat pe keh dete hain nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Baat baat pe sheh dete hain nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Hmm… pal pal chonche maarte rehna
Chubhti hai par hanste rehna
Taago mein koi girah nahi
Par baaton mein phanste rehna

Nok jhok, bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, Bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok
Bas nok jhok, bas nok jhok

Sensitive subjects need acoustic ballads like this one! The intention seems great but Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy lose the plot somewhat and end up with sort of a mash-up. The refrain (Nok jhok bas nok jhok) sounds like Yeh laal ishq, yeh malaal ishq from Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela on steroids (2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD1gepaUZms; 0.36 to 0.44). It will also remind you of the Delhii Heights (2007) Rabbi Shergill-composed and Sonu Nigam and Rabbi Shergill sung number Kitni der tak kitni der tak aaj sham ya saver tak (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJeivmpY6vU). However, Nok Jhok neither seems to have the soul of Yeh laal ishq nor the racy punch of Kitni der tak. The big question is – will it grow on you? Time will only tell. Siddharth Mahadevan, Shankar Mahadevan’s son, plays his part well and tries to lift up the composition. Gulzar’s words are appealing but I would have expected more! Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy get the guitar riffs perfectly right and are superb accompaniment to the words enhancing the feel of the number. In my mind though, there’s Nok jhok if I like it and if this is the first good number of 2020!