SPOOKS 5: FAN FEVER

Most of us think Himesh Reshammiya’s popularity was fuelled by his baseball cap, signature nasal twang and proficiency with mixing qawwali and modern beats. But some say the actual cause… is ghosts. Why did multiple villages in Gujarat ban his song ‘Jhalak Dikhla ja’? Did they really believe it caused listeners to become possessed by spirits?

One strange story. One disturbed place. Many unsolved questions. This is Spooks, a new miniseries in the world of ‘Rumors’. 

Just like Rumors, Bound helps brands and storytellers create high-quality, knowledgeable, and stellar podcasts with our end-to-end podcast and video production services. Reach out to our producer, Aishwarya Javalgekar, at aishwarya@boundindia.com to get started on your podcasting journey or analyze if a podcast is right for you.

‘Rumors’ shines a light on the darkest corners of India, where fact and fiction combine into magical and haunting stories.

Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms.

Written and voiced by Chandrima Das, a best-selling author, storyteller and an avid collector of dark tales. Follow her @hackiechan on all social media platforms.

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound design by Aditya Arya
Artwork by Artisto Designz

Disclaimer: This show is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to outrage, insult, defame, or hurt any religion or religious sentiments, beliefs, feelings of any person, entity, class or community and does not encourage or propagate any superstition, black magic and/ or witchcraft. While every effort has been made in research, we do not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability or completeness of the content.

Transcript

00:00

This show was made for entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to outrage insult, defame or hurt any religion or religious sentiments, beliefs feelings of any person, entity, class or community and does not encourage or propagate any superstition black magic and or witchcraft. listeners should exercise their discretion

00:24

there was a time in the mid 2000s When you couldn't serve TV channels at home without running into Himesh Reshammiya. His classic beard baseball cap and cockiness couldn't be escaped outdoors either. From pawnshops to discos Himesh Reshammiya has Mason Trang never failed to hunt you down and penetrate your yours like a Wrigley little earworm.

00:53

So why was Himesh so popular?

00:57

Was it the marketing muscle of T series that aggressively promoted him?

01:02

His mixture of qawwali and modern beats or his supernatural ability to relate to the masses, while simultaneously being a guilty pleasure for the classes.

01:16

If stories from a good rat village are to be believed, the real reason isn't any of these it's ghosts.

01:40

Saw

01:47

one strange story,

01:52

one disturbed place

01:56

and many unanswered questions.

02:05

This is spokes,

02:07

a miniseries From the world of romance.

02:22

In 2006, an odd series of events unfolded in Gujarat's on in district

02:30

like many young men his age 25 year old Pharaohs from college village was a huge Himesh Reshammiya fan. He owns several CDs and cassettes of his favorite superstar and he would often play them on a loop, listening to the music over and over and over again.

02:51

One Monday evening furrows was going about his usual routine, all while humming the popular track chalak the Claddagh the lyrics go

03:02

chalak, the Claddagh chuck the Claddagh Ekeberg, agile, agile, agile, agile, agile, the Darco that say a Keong Nadine goes re Nocatee Wrathion. It sounds like pretty standard stuff, right?

03:19

The fervent appeal to one's beloved to come and show themselves.

03:25

Well, the costs of village village where Pharaohs lived, didn't quite interpret it that way.

03:32

They saw the song as an invitation card.

03:36

It was time for a jailer of the supernatural to be the clergy.

03:45

Later that evening, Pharaoh sat down for dinner with his family.

03:50

He began with his usual for rotis darlin subzi,

03:55

but the speed with which he ate was quite something else that day.

04:01

But no matter. The boy must be hungry.

04:05

So when Feroz demanded more food, his family noticed nothing amiss. This Optima second husband

04:14

as soon as the food reached his plate, Pharaohs inhaled it.

04:20

A third helping was followed by a fourth

04:23

until his family realized that Pharaohs had consumed a sickening quantity of food.

04:30

But he kept wanting more.

04:33

They tried reasoning with him, telling him that he would get a stomachache.

04:39

But Pharaohs was deaf to the priests.

04:42

He needed more and more.

04:47

His stomach had become a bottomless pit.

04:52

The frustrated family refused to serve furrows.

04:56

They put all the food away out of his reach

05:00

Suddenly, Feroz turned unnaturally quiet,

05:04

even as his family finished dinner and washed up. Pharaohs kept sitting there on the floor, still as a rock.

05:14

Then he began mumbling to himself.

05:16

The words he spoke made no sense at all.

05:21

His poor family was so confused.

05:24

They tried to get throws to move from his chosen spot.

05:28

But he wouldn't budge an inch.

05:31

It was as if his hips were glued to the ground.

05:35

Feroz refused to look at anyone.

05:39

He wouldn't speak to anyone.

05:42

The words emerging from his mouth sounded like they were part of an unending conversation with himself.

05:51

The family panicked, what was happening to him

05:56

what was causing his strange utterances?

06:01

After much crying and lamentation, they came to a horrifying conclusion.

06:08

These were all indications of a supernatural entity at work.

06:14

The family contract to the local Mawlana who promptly arrived.

06:20

Thankfully, the Maulana was present seem to have any effect on furrows as the Maulana chanted and prayed. Pharaoh slowly emerged from his stupor.

06:32

Over the next few hours, he returned to his normal state. He moved and spoke as usual.

06:39

And as for food, he didn't want any of it.

06:44

The Maulana declared this as an obvious case of spirit possession.

06:52

But how had the spirit taken hold, and why furrows

06:58

new soon reached the village elders of college. But their reaction was not one of surprise.

07:06

This wasn't the first case of its kind.

07:09

It was just the latest possession case in the village. They had already been five according to some estimates 20 According to others,

07:20

apart from strange behavior and spirit possession, there was another common factor and that was Himesh Reshammiya.

07:32

To be more accurate, it was the song chalak the Claddagh.

07:37

Each possessed person had been a die hard Hamish fan, who was hard either singing or listening to the song shortly before the Spirit took over.

07:48

In college was not the only place affected. This phenomenon had also spreads to the nearby village of takoma Hala, were more cases of chalak the colada possession were reported.

08:03

The village elders of college lay all the blame on the song. And so they banned it.

08:12

Orders were passed.

08:15

Nobody in the village was allowed to hear the song, sing or play it out loud.

08:21

CDs and music cassettes which contained the song were burned.

08:27

But this wasn't enough. TV channels and FM radio played the song twice or thrice a day.

08:35

So villagers were instructed to switch off the TV or radio whenever it came on.

08:42

Himesh Reshammiya had designed his song to send feed tapping.

08:48

But in college, it had set the alarm bells ringing.

08:54

Soon enough, reports emerged in several prominent newspapers saying that those who sing or listen to chalak big larger, get possessed. Villagers were interviewed and cited several cases to substantiate their claims. According to them, the problem lay with the lyrics challenge the Claddagh literally translates to give me one glimpse and the following line eek by Raja Raja to come to me just once.

09:30

The course of the area was simply following the instructions present in the song.

09:37

This phenomenon caused such a sensation at the time that media persons even questioned Himesh Reshammiya about it. And Hamish for once was completely dumbstruck.

09:51

He declared that he had no nasal tunes or even words to offer about the villagers beliefs for Himesh

10:00

Just found the whole thing. extremely weird.

10:09

Interestingly chalak, the Claddagh only invited trouble for members of the Muslim community. But could the Hindus living in Anand district be left behind on the trend? No, absolutely not.

10:24

They were completely fine with him ish. But the hit Gujarati song sonido sentido got their goat.

10:34

People in the district believed that singing Sonny Dasani dough in why invited evil into their lives? And what evil would that be?

10:43

Well, so NATO sending dough left young men like Pharaohs well alone.

10:50

This song only targeted women.

10:54

According to the rumor, singing it invited a witch into their lives.

11:04

The story goes

11:06

that in the early 2000s, a local woman named Sushma died of cancer.

11:13

So she was great grieving husband couldn't deal with the loss.

11:18

He refused to perform the funeral rites after her death.

11:22

Sonny Dasani dough was Sushma as favorite song.

11:26

So whenever any woman sings it, she pays them a visit, and takes possession of their bodies.

11:40

sonido isn't actually one song. It's a type of Gujarati folk music popularized by the well known singer money Raj borrowed.

11:50

The original pronunciation of the word is sneaky, though, derived from the word SNI. And SNI, though, literally means give me love.

12:02

It's clear that even after death Sushma is still very needy for affection.

12:12

So why do incongruous love songs like Salah get larger and sonido sending it to pull in the spirits?

12:20

Perhaps it's because the sing of desire and hunger, emotions that feel all too relatable to body less souls who want to feel these emotions just one last time.

12:33

Or perhaps these cases show us that it's not just love on humans, but even caused to have trouble understanding consent.

12:46

But more likely the guardians of society, such as village elders, who occasionally need to show their flock lead they always have solutions ready at hand.

12:58

The real problem in Polish and Tacoma hola may have been a surge in mental health breakdowns, or some other undetected complicated illness.

13:09

But authority figures find it much easier to blame and Banner song than to really face the music and admit that they may not have all the answers

13:30

Thank you for listening to spooks, a miniseries From the world of rumors.

13:37

Chandra Madonna's collector and Teller of dark tales, and the creator of this podcast in collaboration with bound, a company that helps you grow through stories

13:50

produced by Ashari as our Baker and sound designed by other Aria.

13:57

Join me every Friday on this quest into the lesser known side of the subcontinent. Subscribe rate and review for new episodes every week.

14:09

Sleep safe tonight.

14:12

Who knows what awaits in the dark?