Barfi: What the f*** is 'Fatafati'?

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posted on 12 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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But for those unfamiliar with Bengali, what is the meaning of 'fatafati?'

New Delhi: "Na bhagwan ne sur diya hai, na taal diya hai", complains a reluctant Ranbir Kapoor before entering the studio to belt out four really snazzy verses of a song that basically translates to 'kickass'. His fear is assuaged by the cast that assures him that with new technology his voice can be modulated to sound musical.

The result is a nipple-massaging (check out the video, you will know), arms flailing, male-bust-hugging, guitar strumming madcap, semi-rap, semi-country number. And it's not bad at all. It makes you want to get up and do silly dance moves in front of the mirror.

Set to folksy tunes by Pritam with a liberal smattering of Bengali, 'Fatafati', the song from Kapoor's 'Barfi', is cut to unseen behind-the-scene visuals from the film. But for those unfamiliar with Bengali, what is the meaning of 'fatafati?'

Simply put, 'fatafati' is awesome or kickass. How does one weave in 'fatafati' in a sentence?

If you remember Euphoria's songs, you will recall that Palash Sen used fatafati with excellent effect in the song 'Kabhi ana tu meri gali' where a guy enthuses 'guru, fatafati!' The word makes effervescent use of Bangla to express approval to life's great things - like a neat plate of biriyani, a wonderful film, a smart career move or the legs on a new girlfriend.

'Barfi' starring Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz will be released on September, 14, 2012 and the team has notched up the publicity with a city-to-city tours, interaction with college students, and media interviews.

The shooting of 'Fatafati' brings back memories of the soup boys of 'Kolaveri Di', a song so popular that it has its own Wikipedia page and millions of views on YouTube. It has inspired business studies by management schools to understand the reasons behind its popularity. Dhanush, the actor son-in-law of legendary actor Rajinikanth, sang the song and earned a pan-Indian following overnight for its unusual lyrics.

'Fatafati' has almost the same appeal. But unlike 'Kolaveri Di', it is a planned campaign to promote the film 'Barfi'. While Dhanush was taken aback by the success of 'Kolaveri Di', Ranbir is prepared for fanfare if the song takes off on social media. It is a mix of nostalgia and longing for people living outside Bengal and amusement for those who do not understand the language but can appreciate the funky beat.

Here are the lyrics of the fatafati song:

It's the burppy song...

Situation bhishon gombhir ohe (Bengali for 'the situation is very serious')

Producer bole bechona bechona (producer says sell it, sell it)

Item gaan koi socho, sochona

Aisa koi beat bajao

Usko repeat bajao

Jo bhi sune mast hoke

Haan zabardast hoke

Fatafati, fatafati lage o lage re (4)

(What the f*** is fatafati, man?)

(fatafati, is she an actress?)