Trippy typewriter, a rock ‘n’ roll Hindi song of the 70s is reimagnised in a music video

In the Merchant Ivory film Bombay Talkie (1970), there was a foot-tapping number sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, ‘Typewriter Tip Tip Tip Karta Hai’. Yet it has remained little known, perhaps, due to the absence of a song sequence or it picturisation in the film. The song — which is composed by Shankar-Jaikishan and lyrics are by Hasrat Jaipuri — is used fleetingly in the opening scene of Bombay Talkie where the lead — Shashi Kapoor — is rehearsing for an item song on a massive-sized typewriter set alongside Helen and other actresses. A fun take on the song has been directed by Faisal Rahman, who calls it “a modern take on the 70s Hindi rock ‘n’ roll song”, as part of a student project at Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

Watch Typewriter Tip Tip Tip Kartah Hai -Bombay Talkie (1970):

The ‘music’ video stars popular Marathi actress Neha Mahajan along with upcoming actor Suhail Nayyar and choreographed by Piyush Malhotra. Rahman came across the song in Wes Anderson’s Darjeeling Limited in which it has been used in background score. It is while watching Darjeeling Limited that Rahman heard it for the first time and got hooked to it. “We would play this song many a times in parties and people would be surprised to hear it and enquire about it. I realised that this was a great song which never got its due,” says Rahman.

Since his projects at FTII have mostly been very somber, he decided to make something fun. “My friend Ruchir Arun and I conceptualised this video on a bus ride between Mumbai and Pune. We were excited to do a modern day music video on the 70s number with a lead pair lip-syncing and a dozen backup dancers,” says Rahman.