In Tigmanshu Dhulia’s 2017 film Raag Desh, “Hawaon Mein Woh Aag Hai” builds to a crescendo and transitions into the INA marching song “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja.” The two are distinct songs: one is a film song sung by KK and Shreya Ghoshal; the other is a march associated with the Indian National Army and credited to lyricist Vanshidhar Shukla and composer Capt Ram Singh Thakur.
How the film uses the marching song
In “Hawaon Mein Woh Aag Hai,” the newer film song gathers momentum before morphing into “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja,” according to Scroll’s 2017 report. That transition connects the film’s own musical sequence to a song already identified with the INA; it does not make “Hawaon Mein Woh Aag Hai” the original marching song.
The film’s trailer also uses the march near its conclusion. The Indian Express described it as the INA’s regimental quick march.
Who wrote “Qadam Qadam Badhaye Ja”?
The Ministry of Culture credits Vanshidhar Shukla as the song’s poet-lyricist and Capt Ram Singh Thakur as its musician. A Ministry of Culture history page places the song in the INA’s 1942–43 history and says it captures the valorous times of that period. A separate Ministry-hosted district repository entry likewise attributes the lyrics to Shukla and composition to Ram Singh, describing the song as a call toward Purna Swaraj, or complete independence.
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Sources spell the title in more than one way: “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja” and “Qadam Qadam Badhaye Jaa” both appear in the cited accounts. These are spelling variations for the marching song being discussed, not evidence of separate compositions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the song fits the film’s history
Raag Desh is a period drama about the INA trials held at Delhi’s Red Fort in 1945. Contemporary coverage described the Red Fort trials as the film’s basis; see The Indian Express’s 2017 report on the film. The marching song belongs to the earlier 1942–43 period identified by the Ministry of Culture. The film therefore places a song associated with the INA within a story about the later trials of its members.
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The two songs at a glance
| Song | Role and context | Attribution established by the cited accounts |
|---|---|---|
| “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja” (also spelled “Qadam Qadam Badhaye Jaa”) | INA marching song associated with 1942–43; described by The Indian Express as the INA’s regimental quick march. | Vanshidhar Shukla, poet-lyricist; Capt Ram Singh Thakur, musician, according to the Ministry of Culture. |
| “Hawaon Mein Woh Aag Hai” | Film song in Raag Desh that builds to a crescendo and transitions into the older march. | Sung by KK and Shreya Ghoshal, according to Scroll’s 2017 report. |
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