- Lyricist
- Shiv
- Singers
- Mayssa Karaa, Shiv
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Chekka Chivantha Vaanam
- Movie release year
- 2018
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Aug 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Hayati' (an Arabic word meaning 'My Life') serves as an energetic, jet-setting anthem that reflects power, lavish living, and global dominance. Set within Mani Ratnam's gangster drama 'Chekka Chivantha Vaanam', the song underscores the extravagant, fast-paced lifestyle of international crime bosses who operate effortlessly across borders—from LA and New York to Greece and Mumbai.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Multilingual Polyglot Lyricism / Anaphora
“Hola vanakkam salam hanji / Hello bonjour chao aloha / Ahlan wa sahlan”
Successive greeting words across various languages (Spanish, Tamil, Arabic, Hindi, English, French, Italian, Hawaiian) are chained together to project global influence and cosmopolitan swagger.
Simile / Metaphor
“Spit heat like a / Dragon flame of the brain”
Compares the rap vocal delivery and sharp lyrical flow directly to the fiery breath of a dragon.
Repetition / Refrain
“Hayati hayati…”
The continuous repetition of the Arabic word 'Hayati' ('My Life') functions as the anchor hook of the track, constantly reaffirming the theme of living life on one's own terms.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman for Mani Ratnam's multi-starrer crime drama 'Chekka Chivantha Vaanam' (2018), 'Hayati' features vocals and rap lyrics by rapper Shiv along with international singer Mayssa Karaa. The track was recorded across studios in Chennai and Los Angeles to give it a global hip-hop/trap feel fitting the film's international crime backdrop.
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