Sonam Wasn't The Most Delicate And Demanding

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's much talked-about Delhi 6 has a large cast of distinguished actors.

But the most delicate demanding and sensitive actor on location was…no, not Sonam Kapoor but a dove named Masakali who not only serves as the romantic leitmotif in the plot but also became a favourite of the entire cast, specially Sonam whom the dove became unbreakably attached to, almost like Mary's little lamb.

So crucial was the dove to the film and its unit that a whole song was written and composed in its honour. The song Masakali is sung by Mohit Chauhan whose voice A R Rahman had used in Rakeysh Mehra's Rang De Basanti.


Speaking on the genesis of the dove song Rakeysh says, "The song was not really meant to be part of the narrative. I mean, who would think of putting in a song about a dove in a film like Delhi 6? It just happened. When I came to the pre-climax portion of my script I was stuck. I needed a continuity link taking the narrative to its finale."

That's where composer Rahman came to the rescue. "When I narrated the scene to him Rahman said, 'I can see a dove here.' I was taken aback. I had never mentioned Sonam's dove to Rahman. How did he know about it? That's how the song Masakali was born.

"There seems to be plenty of anxiety about the music of Delhi 6.

Saya Rakeysh, "Is there anxiety? Not really. When Rahman and I did Rang De Basanti we didn't think about anything except how well the songs and music fitted into the plot. The music of Delhi 6 is again designed only for the film. The dove song Masakali makes sense only within the parameters of our plot."

There have been songs about pigeons (Kabutar jaa jaa in Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya ) and a swan (Oh hanseeni). But now about a dove in times of love.