Mera Joota Hai Japani

Mera Joota Hai Japani (pronounced [meːrɑː d͡ʒuːt̪ɑː hɛː d͡ʒɑːpɑːniː]; lit. 'My Shoes are Japanese') is a Hindi song with music by Shankar Jaikishan and lyrics by Shailendra, written for the 1955 Bollywood film Shree 420. It was performed by popular Bollywood star Raj Kapoor, though actually sung by playback singer Mukesh.

"Mera Joota Hai Japani"
Song by Mukesh
from the album Shri 420
LanguageHindi
Released1955
Length4:20
LabelSaregama
Composer(s)Shankar Jaikishan
Lyricist(s)Shailendra

In the song, the narrator asserts pride in being Indian, despite their clothes all being from other countries. The chorus runs:

मेरा जूता है जापानी, ये पतलून इंगलिस्तानी
सर पे लाल टोपी रूसी, फिर भी दिल है हिन्दुस्तानी
Merā jūtā hai Jāpānī, ye patlūn Inglistānī
Sar pe lāl ṭopī Rūsī, phir bhī dil hai Hindustānī
My shoes are Japanese, these trousers are English;
The red cap on my head is Russian, but still my heart is Indian.

Due to its patriotic themes, the song was widely embraced in its time as a representation of the newly sovereign nation of India.[1] As India was gaining its status as a sovereign democratic republic,[2] this song depicted the casting off of the colonialist yoke and the recognition of the internationalist aim of uniting to make India and the world a better place.

The song was also a satirical retort at some of the political leaders and rich upper class of the newly independent India, who boasted of being swadeshi in their clothes, but were extremely western in their thought, outlook, affiliations and deeds.[3]

This song gained international fame, particularly in the Soviet Union.

  • The first lines from the song are heard early in the 1991 film Mississippi Masala, at a significantly tense moment during the expulsion of Indians in Uganda in 1972.
  • The 2000 Bollywood film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is named after a line in the song.
  • Bengali author Mahasweta Devi quoted the lyrics in her inaugural address at the 2006 Frankfurt Book Fair and moved the audience to tears:

This is truly the age where the joota (shoe) is Japani (Japanese), patloon (pants) is Inglistani (English), the topi (hat) is Roosi (Russian), but the dil... dil (heart) is always Hindustani (Indian)... My country, torn, tattered, proud, beautiful, hot, humid, cold, sandy, shining India. My country.

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See also

References
  1. The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema, By Ashis Nandy, Macmillan, 1998
  2. Raghvendra, Rao; Liz, Mathew (28 January 2015). "Govt under fire for using old version of Constitution Preamble without 'secular' word". The Indian Express. New Delhi. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  3. "Interviews with Tabassum - Shree 420". Doordarshan. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. Raj Kapoor's song Mera joota hai Japani was perfect for Gravity: Phaldut Sharma, DNA India, 1 November 2013
  5. "Ryan Reynold's Deadpool has a famous Bollywood song playing in the background". Deccan Chronicle. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
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