NEW DELHI: The now-famous track ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ sung by Sri Lankan singer-composer Yohani Diloka de Silva is now going to be part of the soundtrack of the film Thank God starring Bollywood superstars Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra, according to Indian media reports. The song titled Manike is the official Hindi remix of the viral song Manike Maga Hithe by Yohani and is the first song from Thank God to be released ahead of the film’s upcoming launch.
The over three-minute long video features a seductive dance by Nora Fatehi, who tries to woo a bewildered Sidharth Malhotra. Fans appreciated the actors’ chemistry and were all praises for Yohani’s voice as well.
The video opens with Ajay Devgn, who plays Chitragupt in the film, explaining how lust is a weakness that plagues every man and not just Sidharth’s character. He flicks his fingers magically and out walks an ethereal-looking Nora, the personification of that lust. Chitragupt then instructs Sidharth to control his desires.
As an awestruck Sidharth gazes at Nora, the dancer puts on a sensuous and seductive show for him, luring and seducing him. Sidharth seems to initially give in and fall heads over heels for Nora. What follows is an acrobatic dance routine where the two show off their impressive moves, even as Ajay’s character mischievously watches them.
Thank God, directed by Indra Kumar, stars Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles. The film, which is touted to be a fantasy comedy is scheduled to release on October 25.
Thank God will mark the first collaboration between actors Ajay Devgn and Sidharth Malhotra. Whereas, this will be Rakul Preet Singh’s third collaboration with Ajay Devgn after the 2019 film De De Pyaar De and 2022 film Runway 37. Sidharth and Rakul have previously worked in the 2018 film Aiyaary and the 2019 film Marjaavaan.
Thank God will also be Sidharth’s first big screen film after Marjaavaan in 2019.
Yohani said that it was quite challenging for her to record the song in Hindi.
Yohani added: “I have grown up listening to Hindi music, but making a real movie track is very different. I am essentially the voice of another actress. The pronunciation, texture, dynamics change completely when recording and it was my first time doing something like that.”
The singer gave credit to the entire team for supporting her through this journey.
“I had to record many times to achieve the correct pronunciation and the emotions that were required, but the team’s encouragement made it all seem enjoyable,” she said.
The song is sung by Yohani, Jubin Nautiyal and Surya Ragunnathan. Rashmi Viraj and Dulan ARX have written the song’s lyrics, while Tanishk Bagchi and Chamath Sangeeth have given the music.
Speaking about introducing Sri Lankan singing sensation Yohani to Bollywood and making the song part of the movie, composer Tanishk Bagchi, who is well-known for tracks such as ‘Bolna’ (Kapoor & Sons) and ‘Ve Maahi’ (‘Kesari’), .said: “‘Manike’ is a peppy song that swept the Internet, and it goes very well with the setting of the film.”
He added: “Today, a variety of artistes are doing their own gigs, and people welcome new singers and their unique styles with open arms. New flavours have been added to the song, taking it one notch higher. Yohani has great talent and potential, and working with her was a totally new experience as she also had a lot to offer.”
On how it was working with Bagchi, Yohani said: “I have always been a fan of Tanishk Bagchi’s music and it was a dream come true to collaborate with him. Even though I’m away from home and learning a new language, everyone makes me feel at home. I look forward to working on many more projects with him.”
