India Post, which marked its 170th anniversary on October 1, has long been a cornerstone of India’s communication and emotional history. Letters, transported by postmen across vast distances, carried a profound emotional significance for people in both urban and rural India. In the pre-digital era, the anticipation of receiving a letter was a source of immense joy and anxiety, and this emotion left a deep imprint on Bollywood.
The postman, as a symbol of connectivity, became an endearing figure in popular culture, delivering not just messages but stories of love, separation, and longing. Migration—where individuals left their homes in search of work—or lovers communicating through letters, made the medium a vehicle for both sorrow and joy.
This melancholy is best captured in the wistful Bollywood songs of the past, keeping alive the nostalgic magic of letter-writing, where each chitthi (letter) held a universe of emotions.
Message, messenger
In Bollywood’s romantic narratives, love letters played a special role. Songs like ‘Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe’ from Kanyadaan (1968) and ‘Kabootar Ja Ja Ja’ from Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) immortalise letters as messengers of love.
The anticipation of receiving a letter from a beloved, and the emotions tied to it — joy, heartbreak, or coyness — gave Bollywood some of its most unforgettable moments. ‘Chitthiyaan Dard Bhari Chitthiyaan’ from Chakori (1949) is an early example of a Bollywood letter song, reflecting the dual nature of letters as messengers of love and harbingers of pain.
These moments were intensified by the slow, deliberate pace of handwritten letters, which contrast with the instant communication of modern times.
The postman, a central figure in this narrative, was often a silent observer of the emotions he delivered and encountered during his work. In Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein (1977), Rajesh Khanna played a postman in the song “Dakiya Daak Laya,” which highlights the importance of the postman in villages.
In real life, too, the postman was a trusted figure, connecting communities and many a times reading out letters to the recipients, for he was one of the few literate people in some places.
A moving portrayal of the world of letters and postmen can also be found in Shyam Benegal’s Dak Ghar (1965), based on a Rabindranath Tagore’s play. It tells the story of a terminally ill child whose only connection to the outside world is his window. When he learns about a new post office being built, he dreams of becoming a postman and delivering letters all over the country.
The song ‘Jhan Jhan Baaje Ektaara’ in particular showcases this imaginative leap, as the boy envisions himself crisscrossing the country, from Ooty to Shimla, carrying letters and connecting with the wider world.
Through this dreamlike exploration, Dak Ghar mirrors the emotional weight that letters carried in real life, offering a bittersweet portrayal of the freedom letters symbolised for those bound by physical limitations.
Bridging distances
One of the most iconic Bollywood songs that captures the essence of this emotional connection is ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’ from Naam (1986). Sung by Pankaj Udhas, this song resonated deeply with millions of non-resident Indians (NRIs) longing for home. Its simple melody and lyrics stirred such strong emotions that it’s said some people left their jobs and returned to India after hearing it.
The song reflects the pain of a migrant, longing for home, and the joy of seeking reconnection through a letter—each piece of paper carrying stories of love, loss, and life’s intricate details.
The emotional role of letters extended beyond love stories, as seen in films like Border (1997). The song ‘Sandese Aate Hain’ vividly depicts soldiers waiting for letters from their families. Songs like ‘Chitthi Na Koi Sandes’ from Dushman (1998) take on a more sombre tone, where the absence of a letter signifies grief and loss. In both cases, letters became symbols of hope and memory, especially in the context of migration and distance.
The ink hasn’t dried yet
From Kalidasa’s Meghdoot, where a cloud is the messenger of love, to the pigeons carrying letters in Maine Pyar Kiya, messages have taken many forms, but none have been as enduring as the handwritten letter. These letters, along with the postmen who delivered them, remain symbols of a time when words on a page were the most personal form of communication.
Hasti Chandresa, an art history student at JNU, shares a more modern and unique experience with letter writing. She recalls sending a letter from the world’s highest post office, located in Spiti, which never reached its destination. “It’s almost part of history there,” she says with a laugh. “Hardly any letters actually make it.”
This story adds another layer to the romance of letter writing, where the uncertainty of delivery mirrors the unpredictability of life itself. In such cases, the act of sending a letter becomes a gesture of hope, a symbol of intention and distance transcended.
Even today, letter writing endures not for its utility, but for its emotional resonance. Yashna Dhuris, a climate activist and student living in Japan, recounts her fascination with letters, which began with her love for stamps.
In 2017, when her brother moved to Bengaluru, she sent him a letter soaked in coffee water, selecting the finest stamp from her collection. Now, living far from home, she writes letters to friends in India as an emotionally charged ritual.
For her, it’s not just about the words on paper, but the tactile connection—knowing that the same paper her friend holds was once in her hands. The smell of the paper, the texture of the ink, and the choice of a stamp all contribute to the letter’s emotional weight, turning it into a living object—a vessel for memories and intimacy that digital messages could never replicate.
The medium of letter writing offers a space to express feelings that often remain unsaid in everyday conversations. The time for reflection that a letter allows makes the communication more thoughtful and sincere.
The ritualistic aspects—getting the address right, selecting the stamp, and visiting the post office—transform letter writing into more than just an exchange of words. It becomes an experience, a meaningful connection between sender and receiver, imbued with the effort and care that only this medium can provide.