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"Gerua"
Song by Pritam feat. Arijit Singh, Antara Mitra
LanguageHindi
LabelSony Music India
ComposerPritam Chakraborty
LyricistAmitabh Bhattacharya.[1]
Music video
"Gerua" on YouTube

Gerua (/ɡˈruwɑː/ transl.Ochre)[2] is a Hindi song from the 2015 Indian film Dilwale. The song was written by Amitabh Bhattacharya,[1] composed by Pritam Chakraborty, and sung by Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra. The song's music video stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.[3][4] The song has over 577 million views on YouTube.

Background

[edit]

In an interview, the composer of the song Pritam said that he had sleepless nights when he was informed that Kajol had been paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the film, since it was a very tough task to create music that could recreate the magic of this iconic Bollywood pair.[5]

Music video

[edit]

The music video of the song was shot in Iceland. The song's visuals are filled with scenery of lush green mountains tops, waterfalls, a rainbow, a glacial lagoon and a wrecked plane at a deserted spot.[3]

The entertainment portals praised Rohit Shetty's cinematography and direction of the music video, they wrote "Rohit has done an amazing job of capturing the elusive beauty and thats the reason behind why this song is different from any other song. Shah Rukh and Kajol have mesmerizing and super hot chemistry. They have created the same magic which was done in Suraj Hua Madham. Rohit Shetty has given a real treat to eyes and we are quite sure audiences will fall in love with the mesmerizing beauty of Iceland."[1]

Song credits

[edit]

The musicians involved in making the song, as per the credits mentioned in the official music video's description, were

  • Music producers – Dj Phukan, Sunny M.R.
  • Music Arrangement and programming – Arijit Singh, Prasad Sashte, Nikhil Paul George
  • Mixing engineer and mastering engineer – Eric Pillai
  • Musicians – Shirish Malhotra, Girish Vishwa, Iqbal Azad, Ishtiyak Khan, Prabhakar More, Krishna Pandurang Musale, Tapas Roy, Iqbal, Langa Zakir Langa, P.M.K. Naveen Kumar, Tushar Parte, Sanjoy Das, Dipesh Verma, Raj Kumar Dewan, Mahendra Kumar, Aditya Benia, Ensemble Strandja ('Dinyu, Valyu, Stoiko, Nikolai), Emilia Amper, Pete Whitefield

Release

[edit]

The song was officially launched on 18 November 2015.[6]

Reception

[edit]

In its review, Indicine wrote, "It's a case of 'love at first listen' with 'Gerua', courtesy a soothing composition filled with a traditional setting (except for the opening 20 seconds that are misfit and strange). The flute in the beginning takes your heart away while Arijit, who has perfected the art of rendering romantic numbers, only ends up raising the bar with 'Gerua'. We bet this one will stay in your playlist for long."[5]

Upon its release, the music video of the song garnered 1.6 million views on Facebook and YouTube. The song trended on 62 countries worldwide.[3] The composer of the song Pritam said- "The reaction on Gerua from everywhere is very heartwarming".[3]

In June 2016, "Gerua" became the first Hindi film song to cross 100 million views on YouTube and remained the highest viewed Bollywood song for a while. [citation needed]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Ceremony Category Recipient Result Reference(s)
2015 Mirchi Music Awards Song of the Year Won [7][8]
Male Vocalist of the Year Arijit Singh Nominated
Music Composer of the Year Pritam Won
Best Song Engineer (Recording & Mixing) Ashwin Kulkarni, Kaushik Das, Nikhil Paul George, Julian Mascarenhas, Emon Goswami, Milena Dobreva & Eric Pillai Nominated

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
"Gerua" is a Hindi-language romantic song from the 2015 action comedy film Dilwale, directed by Rohit Shetty and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles. Released as the lead single from the film's soundtrack on 18 November 2015, the song features the on-screen pair romancing in picturesque locations. Composed by Pritam with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, it is sung by Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra. The music video, choreographed by Farah Khan, was primarily shot in Iceland and became notable for its visuals and the stars' chemistry. Upon release, "Gerua" received positive critical response for its melody and performance, and topped music charts in India, emerging as one of the highest-selling Bollywood songs of 2015.

Background and development

Conception

The reunion of and in Dilwale marked their first on-screen collaboration since Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna in , generating immense among audiences due to their romantic chemistry established in like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. faced significant to deliver a that lived up to these expectations, particularly for the romantic tracks featuring the duo, as their pairing was seen as one of Bollywood's greatest on-screen couples. He described composing a romantic song for them as both a great honor and a substantial challenge, given the depth required to capture their enduring appeal. Pritam conceived "Gerua" as a grand romantic ballad intended to serve as the emotional centerpiece of Dilwale's soundtrack, emphasizing the profound love story between Khan and Kajol's characters within the film's action-romance narrative. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film demanded songs with popular appeal and situational depth, heightening the stakes for Pritam's compositions, which he noted carried unusually high pressure compared to other projects. The track was designed to evoke deeper emotional resonance through longer, more meaningful structures tailored specifically to the leads' storyline, contrasting with lighter romances in the album. Early brainstorming sessions were guided by Shetty's detailed script , where he provided for each situation, allowing to align closely with the film's romantic core. This focused on crafting "Gerua" to highlight the timeless bond between Khan and , ensuring it became a pivotal element in reuniting their on-screen magic after nearly a .

Pre-production challenges

The pre-production phase for "Gerua" imposed considerable budgetary pressures on composer Pritam Chakraborty and his team, driven by the need to deliver a track commensurate with the film's high-profile cast. Pritam acknowledged the intense expectations surrounding the soundtrack, noting that the song situations in Dilwale demanded commercially appealing compositions to match the reunion of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, a pairing that heightened anticipation for emotional depth in the music. This pressure was amplified by the song's ambitious scope, which ultimately required a shooting budget of ₹7 crore—the highest for any Bollywood track at the time—necessitating meticulous financial oversight from the outset to align costs with the project's scale. A key logistical hurdle involved initial scouting for exotic international locations to realize the song's grand romantic visuals. The team devoted months to evaluating potential sites, ultimately selecting Iceland's dramatic southern landscapes, such as the Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon and Jökulsárlón diamond beach, for their contrasting colors and epic terrain. This process entailed securing government permits and coordinating complex logistics for a remote shoot, including preparations for sub-zero temperatures that could impact crew and equipment. Ensuring the song's integration within Dilwale's action-romance framework presented further challenges, as and the creative team worked to balance the track's lyrical intimacy with the film's high-octane narrative under a compressed timeline. Co-produced by and Picturez, the project demanded tight synchronization between music development and principal photography, which began on March 20, 2015, to meet the December release. Multiple iterations of demo tracks were refined to harmonize "Gerua"'s emotional core with director 's vision of blending romance and action sequences.

Composition and recording

Musical composition

"Gerua" is a romantic in composed by , characterized by a slow of approximately 87 beats per minute (BPM). The track features a distinctive prelude with bagpipes and a pan-flute rendition of the main theme, transitioning into a comforting groove supported by acoustic guitars and light percussion. This arrangement evokes a nostalgic 1990s Bollywood vibe, blending traditional Indian elements like dholki and tabla rhythms with Western-inspired acoustic and percussive layers to heighten emotional resonance. The song's runtime spans 5 minutes and 46 seconds, allowing for a gradual build-up through its instrumentation. The musical structure follows a verse-chorus format, with interludes that incorporate melodic lines and syncopated patterns. Pritam's compositional technique develops the thematic into a full , employing lush sections including violins and to create dramatic crescendos toward the chorus. Prominent percussion elements, such as , the emotional depth, providing a steady base that supports the harmonized vocals of Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra in the chorus sections. This fusion of influences crafts a timeless romantic sound that aligns with the song's theme of enduring love.

Lyrics and recording

The lyrics of "Gerua" were penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, who employed the term "gerua"—referring to the ochre or saffron hue traditionally associated with spiritual devotion in Indian culture—as a central metaphor for the transformative power of love, illustrating how it colors and reshapes one's entire existence. This symbolism evokes a profound sense of surrender and purity, with the chorus line "Rang de tu mohe gerua" (meaning "Color me in gerua") expressing the protagonist's plea for their beloved to infuse their life with this vibrant, all-encompassing affection, akin to a devotee's commitment. Bhattacharya's words blend poetic imagery of natural elements—like sunlight, shadows, and melting skies—with romantic yearning, emphasizing love's ability to pause time and redefine reality. The vocals were performed by Arijit Singh, who delivered the male lead with his signature emotive intensity to capture the song's heartfelt longing, while Antara Mitra contributed the female harmonies for a layered, duet dynamic. Post-recording, the track was mixed and mastered by sound engineer Eric Pillai at his Future Sound of Bombay studio, ensuring polished clarity and emotional resonance. Additional instrumentation featured guitarist Shirish Malhotra and flautist Girish Vishwa, among others, to enrich the composition's melodic texture.

Release and promotion

Release details

"Gerua" was released on November 18, 2015, as the lead single from the soundtrack of the film Dilwale, distributed by Sony Music India. The track became available across multiple formats, including audio CDs, digital streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, and the official music video on YouTube. The song was later included in the full album Dilwale (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), composed by Pritam and released on December 4, 2015.) The album debuted at number one on the iTunes India chart upon its launch. The initial release of "Gerua" was strategically timed as part of the buildup to Dilwale's theatrical release on December 18, 2015, with the official music video premiering on YouTube to generate early anticipation. A lyrical video followed on November 23, 2015, further engaging audiences with the song's text.

Promotional activities

To build anticipation for "Gerua," teaser clips featuring snippets of the song were shared on platforms by and the Dilwale accounts, generating significant early among fans ahead of the full . The full was launched at a high-profile event held on November 18, 2015, at Mumbai's iconic , where the cast—including , , , and —made appearances, performed segments of the track, and interacted with media and fans to highlight the song's romantic . "Gerua" was integrated into the Dilwale film's first trailer, released on November 10, 2015, which used portions of the melody to underscore key romantic sequences, amplifying hype through theatrical screenings and online views exceeding millions within days. The song also featured prominently in TV promotions on channels like Sony Entertainment Television, including special segments on popular shows such as CID where Shah Rukh Khan appeared to cross-promote the track. Radio airplay began on stations like Radio Mirchi starting November 19, 2015, with the song debuting directly at No. 1 on their charts, marking it as the first Bollywood track to achieve such immediate dominance. Behind-the-scenes promotional content, focusing on the challenging Iceland shoot amid harsh weather and elaborate setups, was released through Red Chillies Entertainment's official YouTube channel and social media, showcasing the production's scale to underscore the song's visual grandeur and the cast's dedication.

Music video

Filming and production

The music video for "Gerua" was filmed entirely on location in Iceland during August 2015, spanning several days to capture the song's sequences amid the country's rugged terrain. Principal photography took place along the southern coast, featuring iconic sites such as the green-hued Vestrahorn mountains, the cascading Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the icy expanse of Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, and the weathered DC-3 plane wreck on Sólheimasandur black sand beach. The video was directed by Rohit Shetty, the film's overall director, with cinematography handled by Dudley, who employed sweeping helicopter shots to highlight the dramatic landscapes. The production carried a budget of ₹7 crore (approximately $1 million USD at the time), marking it as the most expensive song shoot in Bollywood history up to that point. This substantial allocation covered logistics for an international crew, specialized equipment including helicopters for aerial cinematography, and accommodations in a remote, high-cost location. Harsh weather conditions, including sudden storms and sub-zero temperatures even in summer, led to delays and required adaptive scheduling to ensure safety. Choreography was overseen by Farah Khan, who designed sequences that integrated the performers with the natural environment, including synchronized dances on icy surfaces near the glacial lagoon. The shoot presented significant physical challenges for the cast, particularly lead actress Kajol, who endured extreme cold that caused discomfort and required heavy layering beneath her costumes; actors' lips reportedly turned blue during takes, and safety protocols like harnesses were essential for scenes on precarious icebergs. Despite these hurdles, the team's perseverance resulted in fluid, visually striking routines that complemented the song's romantic essence.

Content and visuals

The music video for "Gerua" portrays and as lovers embarking on an adventurous journey through Iceland's dramatic , blending elements of action and romance to their enduring bond. The unfolds with a through rugged roads, evoking a sense of pursuit and freedom, before transitioning into tender romantic dances set against cascading waterfalls, lush green mountains, and black sand beaches. These sequences culminate in a poignant finale featuring a real rainbow arching over the horizon, symbolizing the eternal and colorful nature of their love as evoked by the song's title, which refers to the saffron hue of devotion. Visually, the video employs vibrant, saturated colors to contrast the earthy "gerua" theme, highlighting the couple's outfits—Kajol in flowing sarees and in casual attire—against the stark, otherworldly Icelandic backdrops. Stylistic choices include sweeping drone shots that capture the epic scale of the landscapes, slow-motion captures of movements and fabric billowing , and symbolic inclusions like a real crashed wreckage, representing past obstacles overcome in their relationship. The emphasis on the ' chemistry is evident through intimate close-ups during heartfelt gazes and synchronized , merging high-energy maneuvers with graceful romantic interludes to create a seamless fusion of thrill and tenderness. These Icelandic locations amplify the video's epic, dreamlike feel, transforming the song into a visual ode to timeless romance.

Reception

Critical response

Critics praised "Gerua" for its soothing melody and Arijit Singh's emotive vocals, which elevated the track to a memorable romantic ballad. Indicine described it as a "love at first listen" experience, highlighting the composition's traditional essence—marked by a captivating flute introduction—and Singh's ability to set a new standard for Bollywood love songs. Bollywood Hungama commended the poetic depth in Amitabh Bhattacharya's Hinglish lyrics, particularly the evocative refrain "Rang De Tu Mohe Gerua," which infused the duet with heartfelt romance and broad appeal. The Times of India echoed this sentiment, noting Pritam's composition as a nostalgic nod to classic Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol pairings like "Tujhe Dekha Toh" and "Suraj Hua Maddham," blending modern flair with timeless melody despite the track's extended runtime exceeding seven minutes. The song's music video further amplified its impact, with The Times of India calling it a "visual delight" captured in Iceland's picturesque landscapes. While some reviews, such as Cinemaglitz's, offered mixed feedback—praising the stunning cinematography but critiquing the music as unoriginal and disappointing—the overall consensus positioned "Gerua" as a 2015 Bollywood standout, earning high marks from major outlets like Indicine (4.5/5 for the song).

Commercial success

Gerua achieved considerable commercial success in the Indian music market following its release in November 2015. The song quickly rose to prominence, ruling various music charts and earning the Mirchi Music Award for Song of the Year in 2016. Its widespread popularity was evident in year-end rankings, where it featured among the top 20 Bollywood tracks that dominated the charts throughout 2015. The positive critical buzz surrounding the track contributed to its strong market performance. The official music video, featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, marked a milestone as the first Hindi film song to surpass 100 million views on YouTube in June 2016. By November 2025, the video had accumulated over 625 million views, underscoring its enduring appeal. On digital streaming platforms, Gerua has also performed robustly. The audio version has exceeded 132 million streams on Spotify as of November 2025. The Dilwale soundtrack, bolstered by the song's lead single status, saw its music rights sold for a record ₹19 crore prior to the film's release, the highest amount for any Bollywood project at the time and signaling strong anticipated commercial viability.

Awards and legacy

Awards and nominations

At the 8th Mirchi Music Awards held in 2016 for songs from 2015 films, "Gerua" won Song of the Year, while won Music Composer of the Year for composing the track. won Male Vocalist of the Year for his rendition. In 2016, was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer – Male for "Gerua" at the 61st Filmfare Awards, though he ultimately won the category for another song that year. The song's choreography earned the for Best at the 2016 . also garnered a nomination for Best – Male for "Gerua" at the 2016 .

Cultural impact and covers

The of "Gerua" significantly boosted to , with Indian visitor numbers tripling in the years following the song's 2015 debut to its vivid portrayal of the country's landscapes. This surge exemplified Bollywood's influence on global travel patterns, as the song's exotic visuals inspired fans to recreate its scenes at sites like the black sand beaches of Vík and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Academic research has highlighted "Gerua" as a case study in filmi-song , demonstrating how such tracks from Indian cinema drive destination branding and cultural exchange in non-traditional markets like . The song's enduring legacy includes its recognition as a benchmark for high-budget Bollywood , with choreographer revealing in 2025 retrospectives that its production reached ₹7 crore, largely due to Iceland's and challenges. This underscored the era's shift toward cinematic in song sequences, influencing subsequent productions to prioritize international locations for visual impact. Additionally, "Gerua" inspired social media trends centered on themes of and , with users recreating its romantic choreography and scenic backdrops on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, fostering a global community of fan edits and travel vlogs. As of 2023, the official surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, solidifying its commercial success. Arijit Singh's live performances of "Gerua" have amplified its cultural resonance, reinforcing its status as an anthem of emotional depth in live settings, including setlists from his 2024-2025 world tour. Notable covers include Antara Nandy's acoustic rendition performed on World Music Day in 2016, which blended the original's melody with folk elements for a fresh interpretive take. Choral adaptations, such as the 2016 medley by Bryden Lewis and Parth Chandiramani featuring The Choral Riff, merged "Gerua" with "Kabira" to create a harmonious tribute that gained popularity in acoustic music circles. A minor controversy arose in 2022 when Arijit Singh performed "Gerua" at the Kolkata International Film Festival, with the line "rang de tu mohe gerua" sparking political debate over its symbolic reference to the saffron color, leading to the cancellation of a subsequent concert and edited clips circulating online. Singh later addressed the issue, downplaying it as an overreaction to a mere color in the lyrics.

References

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