"Phir Le Aya Dil" () is a song from the soundtrack of the 2012 Bollywood film, ''
Barfi!
''Barfi!'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as the eponymous lead, alongside P ...
''. Composed by
Pritam
Pritam Chakraborty (born 14 June 1971), also known mononymously as Pritam, is an Indian composer, instrumentalist, guitarist, and singer. After working as an ad jingles composer, he debuted as a co-composer in the 2001 Hindi film Tere Liye. A ...
and written by
Sayeed Quadri
Sayeed Quadri is an Indian lyricist and poet who works in Bollywood. He was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He won the Best Lyricist award at the 6th IIFA Awards for ''Murder'', and Standout Performance by Lyricist at the Stardust Awards 2005 for ...
, there are three versions of the song performed by
Arijit Singh
Arijit Singh (born 25 April 1987) is an Indian singer and music composer. He sings predominantly in Bengali and Hindi, but has also performed in various other Indian languages. He is the recipient of a National Award and six Filmfare Awards ...
,
Rekha Bhardwaj
Rekha Bhardwaj (born 24 January 1964) is an Indian singer and live performer. She has received two Filmfare and one National Awards. In addition to Hindi, she has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and Malayalam languages.
Personal li ...
, and
Shafqat Amanat Ali
Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan ( ur, ; ; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön ...
. The music video of the track features actors
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the rec ...
,
Ileana D'Cruz
Ileana D'Cruz (born 1 November 1987) is an Indian-born Portuguese actress and model who predominantly appears in Telugu and Hindi language films. D'Cruz was born in Mumbai and spent most of her childhood in Goa. D'Cruz made her screen debut in ...
, and
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
.
Background
The original version of the song is sung by
Rekha Bhardwaj
Rekha Bhardwaj (born 24 January 1964) is an Indian singer and live performer. She has received two Filmfare and one National Awards. In addition to Hindi, she has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and Malayalam languages.
Personal li ...
and the reprise and redux versions are rendered by
Arijit Singh
Arijit Singh (born 25 April 1987) is an Indian singer and music composer. He sings predominantly in Bengali and Hindi, but has also performed in various other Indian languages. He is the recipient of a National Award and six Filmfare Awards ...
and
Shafqat Amanat Ali
Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan ( ur, ; ; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön ...
respectively. The lead actor of the film,
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the rec ...
, selected the version sung by Bhardwaj as one of his favourite songs from the album while stating that Singh did a good job in his rendition as well.
The lyrics include some infrequently-used
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
'' style and has different moods in the composition, alternating between traditional
tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
sounds and percussion and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
notes with the piano. The redux version by Ali was praised for its powerful rendition and is sung in a
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
style.
Release
The song was released on 20 August 2012, along with other tracks in the album. The music video of the song was officially released on 24 August 2014 on
Sony Music India
Sony Music Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. is the record label operated by Sony in Chennai, India. The company began operation in 1997, and it was the first record company in India to be 100% foreign-owned, with Sony being a Japanese corporatio ...
's YouTube channel.
Critical reception
The ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'' lauded Bhardwaj for her "distinct voice," Singh for his "profound" vocals, and claimed that "Pritam deserves all the kudos for composing such a wonderful song."
Koimoi
Koimoi is a Bollywood entertainment website providing Bollywood news, box-office reports and film reviews. In January 2021, its Alexa ranking in India was 2530.
Origin
On 23 November 2009, Contest2win.com and Komal Nahta's Faith Entertainment j ...
found the reprise version better than original, stating, "this track can definitely be treated as one of the best tracks of the year...". Bhardwaj received praise for her delicate '' harkats'' rendered in the song as well as her "classic modulation and deep pitch."
Koimoi
Koimoi is a Bollywood entertainment website providing Bollywood news, box-office reports and film reviews. In January 2021, its Alexa ranking in India was 2530.
Origin
On 23 November 2009, Contest2win.com and Komal Nahta's Faith Entertainment j ...
stated that "Bhardwaj has sung this one really beautifully while lyrics are very meaningful and poetic too". Yahoo! News lauded Bhardwaj for her "folksy penetrative vocals."
Singh's version was also praised for its "elaborately lovely use of strings" and its fresh arrangement.
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides ...
stated Singh's "prowess with classic music is evident all over again as he goes totally uninhibited" for the track and stated that Singh's vocals stand out, with minimal instruments in the background leading to "zero distraction." In its review of Singh's version, the BBC stated: "Arijit Singh’s rendition of Phir Le Aya Dil is also a joy to behold. The romantic lyrics and gentle ghazal-like arrangement are a refreshing change from the high-pitched, pulsating compositions dominating Hindi film music."
Shafqat Amanat Ali's Redux version of the song was delivered in a ballad format with the music being substantially pared down. Ali's version was noted for its mournful, yearning, and nostalgic undertones. Yahoo! News praised him for his "delightful display of classically refined vocals."
Lyricist Sayeed Quadri received praise for his graceful expression of hope and regret and for effectively "capturing the emotions of a lover hoping to reunite with her beloved."