Mera Joota Hai Japani

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"Mera Joota hai Japani" (Hindi: मेरा जूता है जापानी, Urdu: میرا جُوتا ہے جپنِ, translation: My Shoes are Japanese) is a patriotic song that was embraced in its time as a representation of the newly sovereign nation of India. It was one of the songs in the Raj Kapoor movie Shri 420 and the opening lines are:

Mera Joota hai Japani

Yeh Patloon Inglistani

Sar pe lal topi rusi

Phir bhi dil hai hindustani

which translates to

My shoes are Japanese

The pants are from England

The red hat on my head is Russian

But even then, my heart is Indian

This song gained international fame, particularly in the Soviet Union. It is also referred to in Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses.

[edit] See also

• Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani