Chandigarh, January 29, 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): For the devoted, dedicated fan base that eagerly awaits Babbu Maan’s next song and the film with bated breath, the artiste had a surprise. On Tuesday, the Saaun Di Jhadi hitmaker offered not a song or another film, but a page from his personal troves titled Mera Gham—a collection of poems that the singer, actor, composer and screenwriter wrote during his college years. This heavy tome, a debut poetry book, by Babbu Maan, has poems, ghazals and nazms in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English.
Kaun sa gham…everyone gathered at the book launch was intrigued? Was it love, which didn’t meet its manzil during college years or something else? “When we folks from the village move to the city, we come with aspirations and, yes, love is one of them. The subject of my poems carries youthful angst; political and societal issues; Partition pain to love and loss,” shared Maan. Daur aata hai aur daur jata hai/ Diwana har daur main mafhfil sajata hai/ Bikte honge fankar tukdon pe/ Pagal shayar apni dhun main gaata hai…” read his poem Pagal Shayar.
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Babbu, a one-man army, writes, composes and sings his songs, “I write on subjects that I feel about. Growing up in a village, casteism irked me, as did majdoors not getting due wages in time. Life back home is very different than the cities. Part of that time comes in the book and has stayed with me in the kind of songs I sing or the films I write.”
Real change is slow
Social media has permeated everyday life and Maan called it a good platform, “The idea is how you use it. If you are using it to put forward a good idea or initiative, why not? But if you use it to create another controversy, one is better off it.”
Equality and opportunity for all is what the film Ekam’s writer and producer strongly believes in. Known to raise his voice on issues that irk him, Maan shared, “I best express as a songwriter-singer. Real change is slow and all of us have to be a part of it. Change becomes real only when it becomes a law.”
Maan makes a case for professionals from different walks of life to get their due too. “Wherever I see, there are interviews of artistes only. Why not those of doctors, lawyers and other professionals?.” He speaks about how unregulated use of social media can be unsettling. “In comparison, reading a book makes you sahaj,” he said.
Back in time
Going back to the book, Maan recalled sakhi in gurdwaras as his first read. “We all have read and learnt from our history, and those stories have shaped who we are today.”
Ask him about his next song and he candidly said, “What do you want to listen?” His next single drops in early February. And, there are going to be more books. There is going to be a qissa on Heer and poems in Shahmukhi too.
He also talked about love across the border. “My naankas were based in what now is Pakistan. My mother was born there. Political gimmicks divided our country into two.”
Through an hour-long meet, Maan won hearts with his straight-forward approach. Sharing anecdotes from his life, being vocal about the challenges he faced to moving towards a better future, he appealed, “If there is any cause that can make a real change, call for me, I will there.”
From pind to the shahar
Inspired by his iconic music album by the same name, Mera Gham reflects themes of love, life’s lessons, societal realities and the teachings of Sikh gurus. These heartfelt pieces capture Babbu Maan’s journey from a pind (village) to the shahar (city), while exploring hardships and joys. Encouraged by friends from his college days, Babbu described the book as a, “Journey through memories, a reflection of tougher times and the better Punjab we see today.” Books ground us and connect us to our roots; Maan added, “In an era of social media, readers must approach truth with caution.”
Summary: Babbu Maan’s poetry book Mera Gham offers a deep, emotional glimpse into the true essence of the artist.