‘Jai Ho’ pips Indian anthem as Games song

“I think what works most for this song is the Jai ho phrase. The song has managed to attain great heights because of this chant quality,something the CWG anthem lacks. I don’t even remember the anthem song. But it is definitely not Rahman’s mistake that the audience did not like the song,” says music director Salim Merchant of the duo Salim-Sulaiman.

DJ Saurabh Chugh,who plays music at Siri Fort Complex’s badminton court,says: “I am allowed to play from a list of 250 songs given to me by Big Events,which is looking after the music for the event. But that selection is not very good and I end up playing just a few. Considering that I have to be in tune with the crowd’s response to points scored,especially when someone like Saina Nehwal is playing,I can’t play songs like Piya tu ab to aaja and Kal ho na ho which are on the list. Jai Ho has the crowd swinging everytime,so I play it more often than others… I am supposed to play the theme song Aao India bula liya too,but nobody seems to care much.”

India’s favourite hockey song Chak de and Dan dana dan from the film Goal are also played at all hockey matches. There is a roaring response to Jaaton ka chora jeet gaya at boxing matches as most puglists are from the Jat community.

Shovana Narayan,special DG Ceremonies,said the problem is that of familiarity. “People have been hearing Jai ho for so long and know the song by heart. They haven’t heard the anthem song for long enough.”