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Vishal Bhardwaj recalls how Gulzar shaped ‘Ibn-e-Batuta’ and ‘Chappa Chappa’, calls him a ‘god of lyrics’

At the International Film Festival of India, filmmaker-composer Vishal Bharadwaj opened up about his experience of working with music legends Lata Mangeshkar and Gulzar.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Nov 25, 2025 10:10 PM IST

Vishal Bhardwaj recalls how Gulzar shaped 'Ibn-e-Batuta' and 'Chappa Chappa'

At the Annual Lata Mangeshkar Memorial Talk at IFFI in Goa titled The Rhythms of India: From the Himalayas to the Deccan, composers Vishal Bhardwaj and B Ajaneesh Loknath sat down with critic Sudhir Srinivas to talk about their musical journey. During the session, Vishal revisited the creation of his most popular compositions, “Paani Paani Re”, “Chappa Chappa”, and “Ibn-e-Batuta”.

Vishal said, “Lata ji had the talent of doing songs in one take.” Showing how she emphasised the word Paani while singing the track “Paani Paani Re” from Maachis, the filmmaker-composer added, “She brought depth by focusing on one specific word in the song. I asked her if she wanted to share credit as a composer, but she turned down and said, ‘Why would I share? I am a composer, but let me be a singer only in this one.'”

He also recalled his experience of composing the popular Ishqiya track “Ibn-e-batuta”. Vishal shared, “In Ishqiya, when we were making the traveller song, I told Gulzaar sahab that we see so many signs on the road about dangers ahead, which are in pure Hindi, so these are the phrases I want to use through the song. He asked me if I had any tune, and I told him that I’m not able to get hold of any expression to make a phrase.”

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He continued, “One morning, I was coming back from tennis and he gave me this beautiful line, ‘Ibn-batuta, bagal mein jootha, pehne toh karta hai chhurrr.’ He told that when he was in school, they used to sing this for Ibn battuta, the traveller, because he had a shoe beside, and it makes ‘churrr’ noise when he wears it.”

Gulzar was also the mind behind Machis song “Chappa Chappa”. “Even for Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale, Gulzaar sahab said that we have to make it our own and very new, but it should feel like it has been taken from folk. One day, I was at his house and he came to drop me, and he sang two lines for me. I have a very good memory of remembering lines. Then, I made that phrase. He heard it and liked it, but said that it feels like an antra,” Vishal Bharadwaj revealed.

He added, “Gulzar sahab felt that something was still missing. He just casually said, ‘We should have a sound like Chappa Chappa Charkha Chale.’ He is a genius, he is a god of lyrics. He is a great poet. He is so spontaneous and these are my experiences, which I have lived in the past 35 years. Every song felt like you are making a baby, then you make clothes, doll up the baby, and then take the baby outside.”

Navya Kharbanda

Navya Kharbanda is an Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Commentator at The Indian Express, where she specializes in bridging the gap between classic Bollywood heritage and contemporary Gen-Z perspectives. Her work is characterized by a blend of nostalgia-driven analysis and on-the-ground reporting from major film festivals and industry events. Experience & Professional Background Navya is a prominent voice on The Indian Express entertainment desk, known for her ability to secure candid interviews with both legendary veterans and rising stars. Her career highlights include: The Indian Express: Covers a wide range of topics from high-stakes box office analysis to in-depth celebrity profiles. She is a regular at major events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). SCREEN Interviews: Navya has conducted a series of "exclusive conversations" for SCREEN, featuring industry stalwarts like Anupam Kher, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Suhasini Maniratnam. Archival Reporting: She is noted for her sensitive handling of archival interviews and retrospectives, recently covering the legacy of late superstar Dharmendra and the career reflections of the late Satish Shah. Expertise & Focus Areas Navya’s beat is uniquely defined by her "Gen-Z Revisit" series, where she re-evaluates cult classics through a modern lens. Her core areas of expertise include: Cinematic Retrospectives: Analyzing 80s and 90s landmarks like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Mohabbatein to explore how themes of romance and rebellion resonate with today’s youth. Industry Insights: Tracking the career resurgences of actors (e.g., Akshaye Khanna) and the evolving dynamics of film production and distribution in the OTT era. On-Set Dynamics: Reporting on behind-the-scenes stories from major productions, ranging from the technical challenges of Mirzapur: The Film to the work ethics of superstars like Shah Rukh Khan. South Indian Cinema: Expanding her coverage to include the impact of regional icons and the rise of pan-Indian fantasy epics like Magadheera. Authoritativeness & Trust Navya Kharbanda has established her authority by consistently providing "Journalism of Courage" in the entertainment sphere. Whether she is interrogating the sexism in patriarchal classics or reporting on the fair-pay debates at international film festivals, her work prioritizes factual accuracy and critical objectivity. Her ability to synthesize deep industry history with modern audience trends makes her a trusted source for readers seeking both entertainment news and thoughtful cultural commentary. ... Read More

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