Veer-Zaara required a song in praise of the motherland of the hero, Veer.

When Madanji's unused tunes were initially sifted it was never known that a song in praise of the motherland would be a part of Veer-Zaara.

Madanji had left behind a melody with dummy words, Waqt Ka Pahiya Chalta Jaaye, Koi Rok Na Paaye as a philosophical song, a situation very popular in the fifties and sixties.

Coincidentally, when dummy tracks were recorded for Yashji to select, this dummy lyric was done, by Sanjeev Kohli, instinctively, as a patriotic song, and just clicked with Yashji instantly. Almost as if it was made by Madanji for the situation.

Yashji wanted to highlight the beauty of Punjab through this song and was very keen that the three interludes be based on Punjabi folk songs. Thus, the three interludes were planned on Mahiya, Jugni, and Sarke Sarke respectively... three very popular traditional Punjabi folk pieces.

If some people pointed out that Naya Daur songs melodies were used, it was only because those songs were themselves based on these traditional Punjabi tunes and Yashji was keen that they be used again in their original form. (He had been an assistant director in Naya Daur!!)

To add the authentic flavour of Punjab, Gurdas Mann was selected for the adlib as well as the Jugni portion (also filmed on him). The adlib was composed based on the notes of Madanji's original melody.

Udit Narayan was the perfect choice for this earthy song, while Lataji sang a part of the third verse as the heroine's voice.

Indeed the song had the robust spirit of Punjab as well as the message of the third verse that both the nations, India and Pakistan, have so much in common.

View the Video of the Making of "Aisa Des Hai Mera" (VEER-ZAARA)

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