Archive · 11 Oct 2026
TM Krishna Says Hum Dekhenge Unmasks Powerful Narcissists
TM Krishna writes about a song called Hum Dekhenge.
It has been sung at protests for many years.
He especially admires Iqbal Bano’s version of it.
He says she sings it slowly and carefully, rather than shouting the words.
To Krishna, the gentle music makes the message of resistance feel strong.
He says the song helps people imagine a fairer, freer future.
He also connects it with young people’s recent protests in India.
He sees the song as a way to challenge powerful people and ideas about masculinity.
Krishna says it can also be heard as a feminist response.
TM Krishna describes Hum Dekhenge as a longstanding song of protest, justice, resistance and democracy.
He focuses on Iqbal Bano’s slow, nuanced rendition, which he calls the gold standard for the song.
Krishna argues that the poised melody gives the protest lyrics a sense of agency and strength.
He connects the song’s musical assurance and playfulness with recent youth protests challenging powerful politicians and machismo.
Krishna calls Hum Dekhenge a feminist response and says its music can unsettle powerful figures.
- Who
- TM Krishna, writing about Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s song and Iqbal Bano’s rendition.
- What
- Krishna reflects on how the song’s melody and lyrics express protest, resistance and democratic hope.
- When
- The article discusses the song’s history and protests of the past few months; it gives no publication date.
- Where
- India, where protesters are demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation and the restoration of every citizen’s voting rights.
- Why
- Krishna offers a musical note of solidarity and argues that the song’s poised, playful power challenges oppression and powerful figures.
- Song
- Hum Dekhenge, written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
- Featured rendition
- Iqbal Bano’s rendition, which Krishna describes as the gold standard.
- Article author
- TM Krishna, a vocalist in the Karnatik tradition and an author.
- Protest context
- Protesters across India are demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation and the restoration of every citizen’s voting rights.
- Musical character
- Krishna describes Bano’s version as unusually slow, nuanced and adorned with subtle musical movements.
- Translation cited
- The English translation of the song in the article is by Mustansir Dalvi.
- Recent references
- The article refers to protests since 2019 and to protests of the past few months.