Warning: major spoilers ahead!!
Song: Dhoop Aane Do (Unplugged Version) by Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar
The gripping Netflix series “Scoop,” directed by Hansal Mehta, depicts a spine-chilling real-life murder case involving the media, the underworld, and Mumbai police; and serves as a cautionary tale for journalists, illustrating the risks and betrayals that can emerge even from within their own ranks.
Jagriti Pathak, a junior journalist, becomes deeply entangled in the dangerous underworld of Mumbai while chasing a front-page story. She forms connections with high-ranking members of the police, lawyers, and mafias, but is later framed as the main suspect in senior journalist Sen Dada’s murder.
“Dhoop Aane Do”, appearing towards the end of the last episode of Scoop, marks the emotional culmination of the show’s storyline. Jagriti, wrenched away from her job, her family and her life by being wrongfully imprisoned is finally granted bail and allowed to return home. The visuals in the scene are incredibly powerful, featuring shots of her returning to her normal life as a homemaker and mother. These moving moments are interspersed with harrowing memories of her recent trials and tribulations in the form of PTSD-fuelled (sometimes waking) nightmares.
Sung by Vishal and Rekha Bhardwaj, “Dhoop Aane Do”, in its literal sense means to let the sunlight in. The words of the song poetically appeal for things to come back to normal as we allow the sun of hope to pour in and illuminate all that was dark before. The lyrics are simple and yet deep, which is so characteristic of Gulzar’s craft.
Vishal and Rekha’s moving rendition has added to the poignant appeal of the lyrics. Vishal’s minimalistic use of music gels well with the song. The song was composed during the lockdown with all the artists and session musicians recording portions from their homes. It is a masterclass in restraint. The melodic undercurrents are barely audible, and yet there is so much emotion in them, and in the lyrics. They encapsulate the entire journey of the show’s exceptional protagonist over the course of two years.
Not only is “Dhoop Aane Do” a beautiful song with lyrics that perfectly encapsulate our protagonist’s internal struggles at this pivotal moment, it also holds a sense of juxtaposition that reflects the storyline very well. Its hopeful and optimistic lyrics are sung over an instrumental that is barely there yet very powerful in a less-is-more way. In the same vein, Jagriti experiences her happiness, relief and hopefulness on a surface-level, but cannot let go of the horrors she faced through almost no fault of her own.
Terms like “Why stay back home? Why should we not move forward? Why should we not be happy?” These are the questions that will immediately spring to mind as soon as you hear this song. And when you watch the scenes in which we see Jagriti finally returning home and being able to embrace life again, you’ll realise that these are the real questions that have been plaguing this character since the beginning of the show. The moving background score of the show composed by Achint Thakkar, and this aptly placed song, offer us a chance to see Jagriti’s present situation and give us an idea of what is left to come.