Songs celebrating Holi have always been a part of Bollywood, the Hindi film industry. "Rang Barse" is one of the best.
Holi is a time for letting ones hair down and a number of songs celebrating Holi are legion. Bollywood, the Hindi movie industry, has come up with songs that have become a part of Holi folklore.
Rang Barse, the most popular Holi song ever is from a 1981 film Silsila, meaning The Affair. It starred some of the greatest actors in the industry. The closest friend of the hero dies in a plane crash leaving behind a pregnant girlfriend. The hero is obliged to forsake his girlfriend to marry his friend’s so that she is not shamed. Years later the hero meets his girlfriend who is also now respectably married. But old flames are kindled and an affair blossoms. During the course of the affair the lovers and their spouses and some friends get together to celebrate Holi. Bhang, an intoxicant, is traditionally consumed during Holi, andthe hero drinks too much. This is the setting for the song, which cuckolds the husband and celebrates the lover. I give below the translation of the lyrics. The Hindi lyrics are available at Lyrics and Song.
The colors are flowing and the lady with the scarf is getting drenched, Who has sprayed you with colors and wet your bodice, It is the colorful reveller! The colors are flowing and your scarf is drenched.
The dinner is set out in a plate of gold, But it is the lover who eats while the husband looks on helplessly.
A mouth freshener is prepared with cinnamon and cloves, But it is the lover who chews on it while the husband looks on helplessly.
The bed is laid out with fragrant flowers, But it is the lover who sleeps on it while the husband looks on helplessly.
It is Holi! The colors are flowing and your scarf is drenched.
