Anil Kapoor’s song comes to haunt PM Modi ahead of 2019

In the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections—when the existential angst of the poor and middle class in the country had been captured by a Bollywood song Mehngai dayain khaye jaat hai—Prime Ministerial candidate of the (Bharatiya Janata Party), Narendra Modi sprung a jumla, “Acche din aane wale hain” (Good days are in the offing). The poll promise swept him to the power soon after the election results were declared. But over four years later, as the Modi government is about to complete it’s tenure, “Good days” remain as elusive as ever for the common man.

A new song, Mere achche din kab aayenge? (When will my good days come?), from the upcoming movie, Fanney Khan, has come to haunt the BJP ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The song is likely to attain political significance as it happened with the Mehngai dayain khaye jaat hai that featured in Peepli Live (2010) and can find a strong resonance with many disillusioned voters.

Incidentally, whether it was the creation of one crore jobs every year, bringing back black money stashed abroad and crediting at least ₹15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account or setting up of special courts to stop hoarding and to check price rise, the list of broken election-eve promises of the ruling party is fairly long.

Atul Manjrekar’s Fanney Khan, a musical comedy, features Anil Kapoor opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao. It has already created a huge buzz ever since its announcement since its trailer was released a few days back. The movie is said to be based on the story of a small-time singer and his struggle to make his talented daughter a star performer. In the video of the song, an ageing and pensive Anil Kapoor can be seen driving a taxi in the day and drinking with Rajkummar Rao at night. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on August 3.

“This one is a motivation for all the dreamers out there to never give up, as #AchcheDin sabke aate hain!,” posted the Facebook page of the movie while sharing its poster featuring Anil Kapoor as Taxi driver.

The gently-hurting and introspective song—sung and composed by the famed music director Amit Trivedi and written by lyricist Irshad Kamil of the Rockstar fame—can be read here:

Khuda tumhein pranaam hai saadar

Par toone di bas aik he chaadar

Kya odhein kya bichhayenge

Mere achche din kab aayenge?

Do roti aur ek langoti

Ek langoti aur woh bhi chhoti

Ismein kya badan chhupayenge

Mere achche din kab aayenge?

Main khaali khaali tha

Main khaali khaali hoon

Main khaali khaali khoya khoya sa

Mere achche din kab aayenge?

Hai geet nahi yeh mera dard hai

Kaise yeh rozana he gaata jaaun main

Khaali khaali jebon mein khwaab hain
Khwaab hain poore jo hote nahi

Waqt hua nakhoon ke jaisa

Bedardi se jisko main kaatun

Roz zarurat aur khwahish ke

Beech mein khud ko kaise main baatun

Mere tukde ho jayenge

Mere achche din kab aayenge?

Main khaali khaali tha

Main khaali khaali hoon

Main khaali khaali khoya khoya sa

Mere achche din kab aayenge?

Achche din, achche din ho ho ho

Na jaane yeh kab aayenge?

Watch the video of the song here: