Amitabh Bachchan's 'Ekla Chalo Re' by Rabindranath Tagore and other facts about the song

Actor Amitabh Bachchan lent his voice for the popular song Ekla Chalo Re in 2012 for the film, Kahaani. The song was penned by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905. Tagore, born on May 7, is also known by his pen name Bhanu Singha Thakur. He was popularly known to be a polymath, poet, musician, artist and Ayurveda-researcher from the Indian subcontinent. Here are a few facts about Ekla Chalo Re. 

Facts about Rabindranath Tagore's Ekla Chalo Re

First published in 1905

Originally titled as Eka, the song was first published in the September 1905 issue of Bhandar magazine. Ekla Chalo Re was first included in Rabindranath Tagore’s song anthology Baul in 1905. It was later incorporated in the complete anthology of Tagore’s music in 1941. The musical notation for the song was prepared by Indira Devi, Tagore's niece was first published in the April–May 1906 issue of Sangeet-Vignan Prakashika magazine. 

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Renditions of the song in films post-2000

A rendition of Ekla Chalo Re with African lyrics composed by A R Rahman was used in 2004 in the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. It was also included in the 2012 film Kahaani when Amitabh Bachchan lent his voice for the song was composed by the duo of Vishal - Shekhar. Before 2000, the song also featured in films like Sandipan Pathshala and for an album titled Rupantori. The song was earlier also recorded by Kishore Kumar under the direction of Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. 

The first record of the song by Rabindranath Tagore is lost

Sometime between 1905 and 1908, the song was first recorded by Rabindranath Tagore himself. The record of the song labelled H. Bose Swadeshi Records is now lost. Two records of the song made by Harendranath Dutta and Hindustan Party were later released by Gramophone Company of India and Hindustan Records respectively.

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Singer Suchitra Mitra recorded Ekla Chalo Re four times

Suchitra Mitra, also known as the eminent Rabindranath Tagore singer, reportedly recorded the song four times. The first she recorded the song was for the film Sandipan Pathshala in 1948 and a second time in 1984. She recorded the song for the third time for an album titled Rupantori in 1988. The fourth recording of the song is said to be featured as background music by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in the album Tribute to Tagore.

Ekla Chalo Re is one of the 22 protest songs

Ekla Chalo Re was written by Rabindranath Tagore in Giridih town in modern-day Jharkhand. Written during the Swadeshi period of the Indian freedom movement, the song was one of the 22 protests songs. In 1905, the song became one of the key songs for the Anti-Partition Movement in Bengal Presidency.

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