A Sri song for Alia Bhatt

Director Gauri Shinde is going to incorporate the classic Illaiyaraja song Ae Zindagi Gala Laga Le from 1983’s Sadma in her next, Dear Zindagi.

Sadma had Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in starring roles. The poignant track itself is about the vagaries of life. But the other connection? Shinde’s husband R Balki. Ilaiyaraja has composed for all Balki films and it was he who convinced Gauri to include the song.

Says Balki, “I cannot think of my cinema without two things, the presence of Amitabh Bachchan and the music of Ilaiyaraja. Ae Zindagi... is one of Raja Sir’s finest Hindi songs so beautifully written by Gulzarsaab. It fitted Gauri’s film like a hand in glove.”

Gauri’s composer Amit Trivedi who’s done the rest of the score and is known to be averse to musical inclusions on his soundtrack was fine with the track addition. “Not only Balki and Gauri, even I am Ilaiyarajaji’s biggest fan,” he says.