Naram Kalja is a song from the film Chamkila. The lyrics are by Dr.Irshad Kamil. Here is the link to the video that I have used for this blog post.
The context: Amar Singh Chamkila was known to be a poet who spoke about taboo topics. His lyrics were raunchy, sexual, and suggestive, and he was widely panned by religious leaders and ‘cultured’ people who believed his songs were unfit for civilised society. However, in this song, we see women embracing Chamkila’s music and talking about their own sexual identity, desires, and agency. The video is as subversive as the words themselves, with women of all ages shown dancing to and singing the lyrics, often directly flirting with the viewer. Here’s a breakdown of the lyrics. I have included both literal translations and an analysis of what the lyrics could mean, along with some discussion of the linguistic peculiarities. I have also included word meanings and contexts for those who don’t speak Hindi or Punjabi as their first language. Feedback and discussion is most welcome!
नर्म कालजा नर्म कालजा
गर्म तबीयत नर्म कालजा
नर्म कालजा नर्म कालजा
गर्म है नीयत नर्म कालजा
Naram Kalja Naram Kalja
Garam Tabiyat Naram Kalja
Naram Kalja Naram Kalja
Garam Hai Neeyat Naram Kalja
Literal Translation:
Soft heart, soft heart
Hot (turned-on) demeanour, soft heart
Soft heart, soft heart
Hot intention, soft heart
Explanation and Context:
कलेजा kaleja (pronounced as कालजा kalja in this case) literally means liver. But it is very often used to talk about the heart. In Punjabi, we sometimes say कलेजे नूँ ठंड पै गई kaleje nu thand pai gayi. In Hindi, we have multiple मुहावराs muhavaras that use कलेजा kaleja as a stand in for heart, such as कलेजे का टुकड़ा होना kaleje ka tukda hona or कलेजे पर साँप लोटना kaleje par saanp lotna. Hindi also enjoys using the word जिगर jigar (also meaning liver) in the same context. Here is a more complete list of Hindi idioms that use the word कलेजा kaleja.
The Hindustani word तबीयत tabiyat is often used to inquire about one’s health or well being. In this case, however, it is a reference to the woman’s demeanour, or frame of mind.
The word गर्म garm, which literally means hot, is often used as a euphemism for ‘turned on’. गर्म करना garm karna, then means, to turn on.
Word Meanings:
नीयत neeyat – intention
It’s often used in phrases like – उसकी नीयत ख़राब uski neeyat kharab hai, नीयत साफ़ होनी चाहिए neeyat saaf honi chahiye etc.
मेरा औरतपन सारा तेरे नाम वसीयत है
मैं घर की खेती हूँ, मेरी ये तर्बियत है
Mera Auratpan Sara Tere Naam Vaseeyat Hai
Main Ghar Ki Kheti Hoon, Meri Ye Tarbiyat Hai
Literal Translation:
My womanhood is bequeathed or dedicated to you OR I dedicate my womanhood to you.
I am a growth of the home, this is my training/conditioning.
Contextual Translation:
My womanhood is owned by you.
I am private property, this is what I’ve been trained to think.
Word Meanings:
The word औरत means woman. Adding the suffix पन is similar to adding the english suffix – ness. We hear a lot of songs with words like दीवानापन, आवारपन, बंजारापन. So औरतपन means womanhood.
वसीयत vaseeyat means a legal document that defines what happens to your belongings and property after you die, or a will.
तर्बियत tarbiyat means education or training, but here it means (social) conditioning
Contextual Explanation:
In this paragraph, I think the author is implying that in a heterosexual relationship, or a normal marital setup, a woman’s sexuality or desire is supposed to be the property of a man. Sex is a man’s to take when he wants it, whether or not the woman actually consents. In the second line, the woman is saying, I am private property, so I have been fed the idea that my womanhood is actually yours. As my friend Karan rightly points out, “The primary sense of घर की खेती ghar ki kheti is private property, a piece of farmland that is owned in toto with nothing shared and no explanation owed to anyone else. The woman is essentially saying that she has been brainwashed into believing that her husband owns her. She doesn’t even own herself.”
मैं हूँ अल्हड़, झल्लड़, फक्कड़
कर दे दरम दरम दम दैंगड
Main Hoon Alhad, Jhallad, Fakkad
Kar De Daram Daram Dam Daingad
Literal Translation:
I’m without a care, out of control, don’t give a fuck
Do me *alliterative sounds alluding to sex*
Word Meanings:
अल्हड़ alhad – carefree, without a care, unbridled, unrestricted. We’ve seen this word in a lot of bollywood songs – alhad jawani, alhad umar etc.
झल्लड़ jhallad – someone who is झल्ला jhalla (stupid or eccentric), not completely in control of oneself, insane, not very well versed with social norms
फक्कड़ fakkad – someone who is impoverished but still happy go lucky, someone who doesn’t have much to lose, doesn’t give too many fucks
तू लूटता ये सोचके मैं नर्म तू मर्दान है
पर दरअसल मेरे लिए तू ऐश का समान है
Tu Loot’ta Ye Sochke Main Naram Tu Mardaan Hai
Par Darasal Mere Liye Tu Aish Ka Samaan Hai
Literal Translation:
You snatch thinking that I’m soft and you’re masculine
But in truth, to me, you are a means/object for pleasure
Explanation and Context:
Here the लूटना lootna (to snatch or rob) comes from the phrase इज़्ज़त लूटना izzat lootna (to snatch one’s dignity, without consent). This is also how we euphemistically refer to rape in Indian cinema. A better translation would be:
You have sex with me thinking I’m soft and you’re manly
But in truth you are just a way for me to have fun
But to be fair, it could also be a lament, that men knowingly have sex with their wives without the wife’s enthusiastic consent, sometimes knowing that she actually doesn’t want to, and maybe even getting off on the power or ownership of that sexual interaction. They essentially enjoy masculine-ly overpowering their soft wives. So the woman is saying that you think you’re robbing me of my modesty but actually you’re simply an object/thing for me to fulfil my desires. It is a way to take back agency.
Word Meanings:
दरअसल darasal – actually, to tell the truth
ऐश aish – pleasure, fun
ऐश करना aish karna means to have a good time. You can think of the evergreen घूमेंगे फिरेंगे नाचेंगे गाएंगे ऐश करेंगे और क्या ghoomenge phirenge, naachenge, gaayenge, aish karenge aur kya from the banger ए, क्या बोलती तू aye, kya bolti tu
मर्दान mardaan – manly, masculine (remember Rani Mukherji’s मर्दानी Mardaani, which roughly translates to manly woman)
बेटी की मम्मी, डैडी की गुड़िया
देवर की भाभी जी हूँ जग समझाए हाये
देवर की भाभी जी हूँ मैं
Beti Ki Mummy, Daddy Ki Gudiya
Devar Ki Bhabhi Ji Hun Jag Samjhaaye Haye
Devar Ki Bhabhi Ji Hun Main
Literal Translation:
My daughter’s mother, her father’s doll
I am the respected sister-in-law to my brother-in-law, the words tells me
I am the respected sister-in-law to my brother-in-law
Word Meanings:
देवर devar – In Hindi, familial relationships are quite intricately defined. A देवर devar is the younger brother of one’s husband. The elder brother is called जेठ jeth. Their wives are called देवरानी devrani and जेठानी jethani, respectively.
गुड़िया gudiya – doll
Context and Explanation:
A woman’s identity is often defined relationally, rather than as a person. The mother of her daughter, the doll (beloved) of her daughter’s father, the respected sister-in-law to my husband’s younger brother, her own identity or वजूद vajood as an independent being is erased.
In the second line, she simply describes herself as her husband’s younger brother’s respected sister-in-law, but when she repeats the line, she is implying that I’m the oh-so-respectable sister-in-law (surely he’ll do anything for me?). It’s a way of taking back her ‘self’ and agency, where she continues to define it relationally (the way society likes it), but alludes to something taboo, because it works for her.
The allusion to the devar-bhabhi relationship comes from the pop culture obsession with stories of illicit devar-bhabhi relationships. If a woman is not satisfied with her husband (who is either absent or impotent), she can simply get what she needs from the देवर devar. It is also a very popular genre of desi pornography. Look up Savita bhabhi!
It also might be worth paying attention that डैडी की गुड़िया daddy ki gudiya can mean (her own) dad’s beloved, but it can also mean (her daughter’s) dad’s plaything.
रिश्ते क़बूलूँ, पर मैं ना भूलूँ
कैसे बुझानी है जो अग्ग लग जाए हाये
जलता बदन जो मेरा हो
Rishte Qaboolun, Par Main Na Bhoolun
Kaise Bujhani Hai Jo Agg Lag Jaaye
Jalta Badan Jo Mera Ho
Translation:
I accept relations/relationships, but I don’t forget
How to quench the fire that sometimes catches
My body burns
In these two lines, she is saying a little more explicitly, that she accepts the labels and relations that society has given her, but it is secondary to her quenching her own desires. Her desire is valid, and when her body burns, she will get what she needs to satiate her thirst.
Word Meanings:
क़बूलँना qaboolna – to accept. In Muslim weddings, you have to say क़बूल है qabool hai thrice to solemnise the marriage.
बुझाना bujhaana – to douse or put out (fire), but in this case to quench
जलना jalna – to burn
गुपचुप गुपचुप ये न समझीं तेरा ही है जी करदा
गुपचुप गुपचुप तुमसे ज़्यादा मेरा भी है जी करदा
चमकीला मेरे अंदर भी बोले सदा
Gupchup Gupchup Ye Na Samjhin Tera Hi Hai Jee Karda
Gupchup Gupchup Tumse Zyada Mera Bhi Hai Jee Karda
Chamkeela Mere Andar Bhi Bole Sada
Secretly, don’t think that only you desire (sex)
Secretly, even more than you, I too desire (sex)
Chamkila forever speaks within me too
Firstly, here the verb समझना samajhna is conjugated in Punjabi, not Hindi, so ये ना समझीं ye na samjhi means don’t think or don’t assume rather than ‘I did not understand’. This is a mistranslation that I found on many websites. If you’re familiar with how Hindi is spoken in Delhi, people often say stuff like ये ना सोचीं ye na sochi, ये ना करीं ye na kari, थोड़ा दूध ले आईं thoda doodh le aai etc.
The last line simply means that women too enjoy raunchy music that is about their desires, taboo relationships, and that does not meet society’s ideas of propriety.
Word Meanings:
सदा sada – forever. This always reminds me of the DeBeer’s Diamond Ad हीरा है सदा के लिए heera hai sada ke liye which translates to ‘diamonds are forever’.
ये ना समझीं ye na samjhin – यह न समझ ye na samajh
जी करना jee karna – मन करना mann karna – to want something. We’ve heard it in other songs – तेन्नु कोल बिठावाँ जी करदा tenu kol bithawan jee karda, or अज्ज मेरा जी करदा मर जानेया ajj mera jee karda mar jaaneya
हाय मैं मर जावां गुड़ खाके
Haaye Main Mar Javan Gurr Kha Ke
Gud means jaggery. This is a Punjabi idiom that means to die of happiness, bringing about a sense of gay abandon or unbridled happiness. Chamkila’s songs are finally allowing women to let go and listen to their desires being expressed!
छोटी सी आरी लेके, तू क्या काटेगा जंगल
तू दो पैसे का दंगल, मैं दो धारी आरी
मैं तो ना बेचारी, आने दे मेरी बारी
Chhoti Si Aari Le Ke, Tu Kya Kaatega Jungle
Tu Do Paise Ka Dangal, Main Do Dhaari Aari
Main To Na Bechari, Aane De Meri Bari
With such a small saw, however will you cut the jungle
You’re a small-time fighter, I’m a double edged saw
I’m not helpless, let my turn come
An आरी aari is a saw, and in this case, it is quite an obvious reference to a small penis. It is a taunt, that contextually means, with such a small saw (tool), however will you cut through the jungle (of my desire)?
Word Meanings:
आरी aari – saw (that is used to cut wood)
धार dhaar – edge
दो धार do dhaar – two sharp edges
दो धारी do-dhaari – double edged, to have a sharp edge on both sides, to be oversmart, quick witted (remember Imran Khan’s दो धारी तलवार do-dhaari talwaar)
दंगल dangal – village square, wrestling arena, अखाड़ा akhada (in this case it is referring to the wrestler that participates in the wrestling competition)
बेचारी bechari – जिसके पास चारा न हो, someone who doesn’t have an option, damsel in distress
बारी bari – turn
तू लूटता ये सोचके मैं नर्म तू मर्दान है
पर दरअसल मेरे लिए तू ऐश का समान है
Tu Loot’ta Ye Sochke Main Naram Tu Mardaan Hai
Par Darasal Mere Liye Tu Aish Ka Samaan Hai
The lines are repeated. The video here has very suggestive choreography, which very obviously acts out these words.
बेशरम तबीयत
Besharam tabiyat
Shameless demeanour/mood
शर्म sharam means shyness or modesty, and it is widely known that शर्म लाज औरत का गहना होता है sharm laaj aurat ka gehna hota hai. So to have a बेशर्म तबीयत besharam tabiyat is to throw caution to the wind and shamelessly proclaim your desire, which is what the women in this song are doing!
Note:
While discussing and proofing this translation, my friend Karan pointed out that tabiyat/तबीयत/ طبیعت’s primary meaning is that of something essential or basic, not transient like a passing mood. Hence compound words like “khush-tabiyat” (someone who’s cheerful by nature) or “tabaa-aazmaai” (testing one’s strength or skill or fortitude). However, in this song, given the context, I feel that तबीयत tabiyat can also be translated to mood, as in the woman is in a horny mood, or in the mood for some action.
Have questions or feedback? Let us know in the comments!
Had the best time de-coding this and exploring the meanings (singular and double) with you in class!!! The ✨vibes✨ of the song / lyrics compound with every listen now, thank you for this!!! ❤️