Na Tum Jano Na Hum: a 2000s favourite

Some songs don’t just play — they stay with you forever. Na Tum Jano Na Hum is one of those timeless Bollywood romantic songs that still touches the heart the moment you hear the first line, and my female version of it is one of the most-loved covers on my channel, with more than seven lakh views.

The original

The song is from Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, the film that introduced Hrithik Roshan, with Ameesha Patel, directed by Rakesh Roshan and released on 14 January 2000. The music is by Rajesh Roshan and the lyrics by Ibrahim Ashq, and the song is sung by Lucky Ali — Saregama’s digital release credits Lucky Ali and Ramya.

It is a song with an award attached: Lucky Ali won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for it, and Rajesh Roshan won Best Music Director for the album. Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai went on to enter the Guinness World Records for the most awards won by a film, and its soundtrack was one of the biggest-selling albums of its time.

What the words mean

Na tum jaano na hum means “neither you know, nor I”. It is about the strange beginning of love — two people who are drawn to each other without either of them understanding how, or why, or when it happened. Nobody has made a decision; the heart has simply moved on its own. That uncertainty is what makes it so romantic.

Lucky Ali’s voice gave the original a soft, unhurried, almost dreamy quality, and that is a big part of why people still return to it more than twenty-five years later.

My version

I sang it; the music recreation, mixing and mastering are by R3zR, and Prince Pratap shot the video. It went up on my channel on 2 May 2024. It is a female version of the song, recreated for everyone who still believes in old-school love.

Singing a song so closely tied to one voice is a challenge. You cannot copy Lucky Ali — nobody can — so the only honest thing to do is to sing it as yourself, and let the melody and the words carry the feeling.

When to listen

This is a song for late nights, long drives and moments you don’t want to forget. Close your eyes and feel the music. If it reminds you of someone special, take a moment with it.

Tell me in the comments: what memory does this song bring back for you?

Credits at a glance

Original: Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, from Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000). Singer: Lucky Ali (credited with Ramya on Saregama’s digital release). Music: Rajesh Roshan. Lyrics: Ibrahim Ashq. Director: Rakesh Roshan. Starring Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel. Label: Saregama. Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer: Lucky Ali.

My version: Singer: Sushmita Srivastava. Music recreation, mixing and mastering: R3zR. Video: Prince Pratap. Released on YouTube on 2 May 2024.