Mile Sur Mera Tumhara to Sur Bane Hamara

Mile Sur Mera Tumhara to Sur Bane Hamara
@Asim Deb

If you are grown in the 80s or early 90s in India, chances are that you could never miss the tunes of Mile Sur Mera Tumhara to Sur Bane Hamara, on Doordarshan. The same words, in just 2 or 3 lines, in different languages, sensitized the whole nation. The song became a powerful reminder of India’s potential when united. That’s amazing.

‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ was the first of its kind of Indian national integration musical video. It was telecast for the first time on Independence Day 1988, after Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, and has since remained an iconic representation of national pride. The national integration video was intended to promote a sense of pride and unity amongst Indians, highlighting India’s different linguistic communities and societies—India’s unity in diversity, so to speak, it was a composition as if the unofficial anthem of India.

The objective of the video was to instill a sense of pride and promote unity amongst the Indians, highlighting different linguistic communities and societies that live in India. The video featured people from different walks of life, big and small, singing in their own language or mouthing someone else, but all saying the same thing, ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ meaning ‘if you and i sing the same tune, the tune becomes ours, making it indistinquishable.’

The song first starts with Hindi, and in order, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Hindi again, Sindhi, Urdu, Punjabi again, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, and ends in Hindi.

The lyrics evoke imagery of rivers merging into the ocean from all directions, symbolizing the convergence of different cultures and traditions into a harmonious whole. This idea is further depicted in the visuals of the song, which span various regions of India, from the snow-covered Kashmir to the beaches of Goa, showcasing people from different walks of life. The music, based on Raag Bhairavi, was a fusion of Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions with modern elements, representing the blending of India’s vast musical heritage.

All these people speaking so many different languages do unite and assemble, have the same hearts beating for their very same motherland. All of them dance to the one tune that eulogizes their motherland, when that one tune unites this diversity of cultures, a legend was born. Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, the magnum opus on the unity of India unfolded Indian pride and patriotism, this masterpiece carried forward the legacy considered only next to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, and was proclaimed as the most popular unofficial national anthem of India, across India.

It was conceptualized in 1988 by the Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad and promoted by Doordarshan (India’s sole TV broadcaster) and India’s Ministry of Information. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi composed the music based on Indian classical Raga Desh (country), and arranged by Ashok Patki and Louis Banks, with lyrics by Piyush Pandey. The project was conceived by Arati Gupta, Suresh Mallik and Kailash Surendranath and directed by Kailash Surendranath and recorded with a cast from all walks of life, including celebrities—musicians, sports persons, writers, movie stars, etc.The voice leads were given by prominent Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Lata Mangeshkar, M Balamurlikrishna , Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shubhangi Bose, Suchitra Mitra.

The celebrity casting was Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Lata Mangeshkar, Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna, Amitabh Bachhan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jeetendra, Prakash Padukone, Wahida Rehman, Ramanathan Krishnan, Mrinal Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Mallika Sarabhai, Hema Malini, Gurubox Singh, S Venkataraghavan, Chuni Goswami, PK Banerjee, Syed Kirmani, Leslie Claudius, Javed Akhtar, Tanuja, Kamal Hasan, Om Puri, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Asha Kelunni Kutty (Revathi), Shabana Azmi, Suchitra Mitra, K.R.Vijaya, Deepa Sahi, Dina Pathak, Arun Lal, Narendra Hirwani, Mario Miranda, Suhasini, Uttam Mohanty, Sunil Gangopadhyaya, Ananda Shankar, Pratap Pothen, A.V. Ramanan.

To align all the busy celebrities at 20 different locations across India within their own professional schedules and yet ensure a sense of uniformity, requires a ‘big picture’ visualisation and this was the genius of Suresh Mullick, Kailash, his production team and the never say die spirit of Vicky Bangera, Ogilvy’s film man.

The lyrics:
मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा तो सुर बने हमारा
सुर की नदियाँ हर दिशासे बहते सागर में मिलें
बादलों का रूप लेकर बरसे हल्के हल्के
मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा तो सुर बने हमारा

(कॉशुर, Kashmiri)
चॉन्य् तरज़ तय म्यॉन्य् तरज़
इक-वट बनि यि सॉन्य् तरज़
(Chaun taraz th meun taraz,
ekvat bane ye son taraz)

(ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
ਤੇਰਾ ਸੁਰ ਮਿਲੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸੁਰ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ
ਮਿਲਕੇ ਬਣੇ ਇਕ ਨਾਵਾਂ ਸੁਰ ਤਾਲ
(Tera sur mile mere sur de naal
milke bane ek nava surtaal)
(Badlaan da roop laikey
Barsaan holley holley)

(हिन्दी, Hindi)
मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा तो सुर बने हमारा
(Mile sur mera tumharaa, To sur bane hamaara)

Sindhi
(سنڌي)
معهڳنجو سعر تعهڳنجي ساان پٿاارا مڳلي جادينه
گييت اساانجو مادهعر تاراانو باني تادينه
(मुहिंजो सुर तुहिं जेसाँ प्यारा मिले
जडेंह गीत असाँजो मधुर तरानो बणे तडेंह)
(Mohnja sur tohi desa pyara mile
Jadein Geet ashaanjo madhur tarano bane tadein)

(Urdu)
سر کا دریا بہ کے ساگر میں میل
(सुरकादरियाबहकेसागरमेंमिले)

(ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, Punjabi)
ਬਾਦਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ ਲੈਕੇ
ਬਰਸਾਂ ਹੌਲੇ ਹੌਲੇ
(Sur ka dariya bahte saagar me mile
Badlaan da roop leike
Barasien haule haule)

(தமிழ், Tamil)
இசைந்தால் நம் இருவரின் சுரமும் நமதாகும்
திசை வேறு ஆனாலும் ஆழிசை ஆறுகள் முகிலாய் மழையாய் பொழிவதுபோல் இசை…
நம் இசை
(इसैन्तालनमइरुवरिनसुरमुमनमताकुम्
तिसैवेरआनालुमआऴिसैआरुकळमुकिलायमऴयायपोऴिवतुपॉलइसै
नमइसै)
(Isaindaal nam iruvarin suramum namadaagum
Disai vaeru aanaalum aazhisai aarugal mugilaai mazhaiyaayi pozhivadu poal isai…
Nam isai)

(ಕನ್ನಡ, Kannada)
ನನ್ನ ಧ್ವನಿಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಧ್ವನಿಯ,
ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಧ್ವನಿಯ
(Nanna dhvanige ninna dhvaniya
Seridante namma dhvaniya)

(తెలుగు, Telegu)
నా స్వరము నీ స్వరము సంగమ్మమై
మన స్వరంగా అవతరించెయ్
(Naa swaramu nee swaramu sangammamai,
Mana swaram ga avatarinchey)

(മലയാളം, Malayalam)
എന്റെ സ്വരവും നിങ്ങളുടെ സ്വരവും
ഒത്തുചേർന്നു നമ്മുടെ സ്വരമായി
(एन्टे स्वरवुम निङळुटे स्वरवुम
ओत्तु चेर्न्नु नम्मुटे स्वरमाय्)
(Ente swaravum ningalude swaravum
Otthu chernnu nammude swaramai….)

(বাংলা)
তোমার সুর মোদের সুর
সৃষ্টি করুক ঐক্যসুর
সৃষ্টি করুক ঐক্যতান

(অসমীয়া)
সৃষ্টি হউক ঐক্যতান

(ଓଡିଆ, Odia)
ତୁମ ମୋର ସ୍ୱର ର ମିଲନ
ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରେ ଚାଲୁ ଚତନ
(तुम मोर स्वरर मिळन
सृष्टि करे चालुचतन)
(Toma mora swarer milan
srishti kare chalbochatano)

(ગુજરાતી), Gujrati)
મળે સૂર જો તારો મારો
બને આપણો સૂર નિરાળો
(Male sur jo taro maro
Bane aapno sur niralo)

(मराठी, Marathi)
माझ्या तुमच्या जुळता तारा
मधुर सुरांच्या बरसती धारा
(Majhya tumchya julta tara
Madhur suranchya barasti dhara)

(Hindi)
सुर की नदियाँ हर दिशासे बहते सागरमें मिलें
बादलों का रूप लेकर बरसे हल्के हल्के
मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा तो सुर बने हमारा
मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा
तो सुर बने हमारा

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On 26 January 2010, that’s 20 years later, Zoom TV made a revised version named Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, directed by Kailash Surendranath who had produced the original version as well, with music composer/arranger Louis Banks, the same of the first one.
With more than 60 of India’s known celebrities it took almost a year, considering 60 days of on-location shoot across 15 Indian cities, 30 days of studio works, 18 of India’s best musicians, 13 of India’s best artists and singers, 15 of India’s most renowned icons to create this magnum opus. However, it was a most disappointing direction and presentation, and completely failed to capture the soul and essence of India’s heart. Also it focused too much on Bollywood actors, ignoring eminent personalities in other fields. Further, it attracted criticism over the deletion of the Sindhi lines “Mohnja sur tohi desa pyara mile jadein Geet ashaanjo madhur tarano bane tadein”which was present in the original.

While the first version was a triumph across the country, the modern version with casts from glamour world let it down and disappointment. To name the glamour personalities:
• Amitabh Bachchan, Mammootty, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Atul Kulkarni, Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Chiyaan Vikram, Suriya, Mahesh Babu, Prosenjit Chatterjee (Actor)
• Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy (Composer trio)
• Anoushka Shankar (Sitarist, Composer)
• Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Vijay Yesudas, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shaan (Playback singer)
• Shivkumar Sharma, Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Khan, Ayaan Ali Khan, Rahul Sharma (Musician)
• Gurdas Maan (Singer-songwriter)
• Louis Banks, A. R. Rahman (Composer)
• Juhi Chawla, Rituparna Sengupta, Shilpa Shetty, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonali Kulkarni, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Shobana (Actress)
• Bhupen Hazarika (Singer, Musician)
• KJ Yesudas (Singer,Composer)
• L. Subramaniam (Violinist), Sivamani (Percussionist), Sudarshan Pattnaik (Sand artist)
• Shiamak Davar (Choreographer), Karan Johar (Film director), Rupak Upadhyay (Editor)
• Mary Kom (Boxer), Gopichand (Badminton coach), Saina Nehwal (Badminton player) (Editor), Abhinav Bindra (Shooter), Vijender Singh (Boxer), Sushil Kumar (Wrestler), Baichung Bhutia (Footballer)

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jf6pwtPqCs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX2mIm8HnPI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile_Sur_Mera_Tumhara

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