Antakshari
Encyclopedia
Antakshri is a spoken
parlor game
played in India
, Bangladesh
and Nepal
. Each contestant sings the first verse of a (usually Bollywood) movie song
that begins with the Hindi or Urdu consonant
on which the previous contestant's song selection ended.
words:
When these words are combined and an '-i' suffixed, the term means "[The game] of the ending letter". Due to schwa syncope in Hindi
, अन्ताक्षरी is pronounced Antaksh.ri (and not Antakshari, though that spelling is common in transliteration). A dialectical variation of the word is इन्ताक्षरी or Intakshri.
The game is often kicked off with the consonant /m/ (म or م) with the recitation of the following couplet which varies, but usually has wording similar to -
pastime. Now there are several TV shows and competitions all over India based on it. The classic style is where two or more teams sing songs which start with last consonant letter of the song sung by previous team. When a team sings a song they earn points.
A popular Indian television program by the same name has run successfully on Zee TV
for over 10 years. Competitors on the show have included Annu Kapoor
, Durga Jasraj, Renuka Shahane, Shefali, Rajeshwari Sachdev & Richa Sharma . Contestants have ranged from school and college-goers to housewives, professionals and celebrities.
जहां ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो, बस प्यार ही प्यार पले
(Movie: Door Gagan Ki)
This song ends with ले (le), i.e. the consonant /l/ ल. The next contestant could sing -
लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीन रात हो न हो
शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो
(Movie: Woh Kaun Thi)
Ishq yeh dekh ke hairaan hai,
Phool se khushboo khafa khafa hain gulshan mein,
Chupa hai koi ranj fiza ki chilman mein.
(Movie: Jodhaa Akbar)
The next song should begin with /m/ (the 'n' in mein is only a nasalization rather than a complete consonant, similar to bon/good in French):
Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya, Har fiqr ko dhuen mein uraata chala gaya,
Barbadiyon ka sog manana fizool tha, Barbadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya.
(Movie: Hum Dono (1961 film)
)
The next song should begin with (y) and so on.
is a related game played with Urdu poetry instead of movie songs. Several word chain
games also resemble antakshri in their basic methodology.
Spoken game
A spoken game is a game which uses words instead of cards, boards, game pieces, or other paraphernalia.Spoken games can often also be categorized as guessing games, word games, or because of their freedom from equipment or visual engagement, car games....
parlor game
Parlour game
A parlour game is a group game played indoors. During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour, hence the name....
played in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Each contestant sings the first verse of a (usually Bollywood) movie song
Bollywood songs
Bollywood songs, more formally known as Hindi movie songs, are songs featured in Bollywood films, often performed in item numbers.The language of Hindi movie songs, generally termed Hindi, can be complex. Some songs are saturated with Urdu and Persian terms and it is not uncommon to hear use of...
that begins with the Hindi or Urdu consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
on which the previous contestant's song selection ended.
Etymology
The word is derived from two HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
words:
- Ant (अन्त) meaning End
- Akshar (अक्षर) meaning letter of the alphabetAlphabetAn alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
When these words are combined and an '-i' suffixed, the term means "[The game] of the ending letter". Due to schwa syncope in Hindi
Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages
The schwa deletion or schwa syncope phenomenon plays a crucial role in Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Gujarati, Maithili and several other Indo-Aryan languages, where schwas implicit in the written scripts of those languages are obligatorily deleted for correct pronunciation. Schwa...
, अन्ताक्षरी is pronounced Antaksh.ri (and not Antakshari, though that spelling is common in transliteration). A dialectical variation of the word is इन्ताक्षरी or Intakshri.
Rules
The game can be played by two or more people and is popular as a group activity during commutes, bus rides etc. The first singer has to sing two complete lines and then s/he may stop at the end of those or following lines. The last Hindi letter of the last word sung is then used by the next singer to sing another song, starting with that letter. The winner or winning team is decided by a process of elimination. The person or team that cannot come up with a song with the right consonant is eliminated if their opponents can produce such a song.The game is often kicked off with the consonant /m/ (म or م) with the recitation of the following couplet which varies, but usually has wording similar to -
Baithe, baithe, kya karein? Karna hai kuch kaam,
Shuru karo antakshri, leke prabhu/rabb ka naam!
- This means that the first song must start with (m).
- Songs have to be started from the last sound of the previous song.
- Only songs from BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movies are allowed by default. Songs from other languages can be allowed with prior agreement. - At least the first verse of the song must be sung. If the singer does not remember it in entirety, they cannot use the song.
- No song can be repeated again in the game.
Popularity
It started as a familyFamily
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
pastime. Now there are several TV shows and competitions all over India based on it. The classic style is where two or more teams sing songs which start with last consonant letter of the song sung by previous team. When a team sings a song they earn points.
A popular Indian television program by the same name has run successfully on Zee TV
Zee TV
Zee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,...
for over 10 years. Competitors on the show have included Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor
Annu Kapoor is an Indian film actor and television presenter, best remembered for hosting the singing reality show Antakshari.-Career:Annu Kapoor made his debut in the film Mandi directed by Shyam Benegal in 1979. His career has spanned nearly 31 years including a distinctive presence in...
, Durga Jasraj, Renuka Shahane, Shefali, Rajeshwari Sachdev & Richa Sharma . Contestants have ranged from school and college-goers to housewives, professionals and celebrities.
Example
आ चल के तुझे, मैं ले के चलूं, इक ऐसे गगन के तलेजहां ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो, बस प्यार ही प्यार पले
(Movie: Door Gagan Ki)
This song ends with ले (le), i.e. the consonant /l/ ल. The next contestant could sing -
लग जा गले कि फिर ये हसीन रात हो न हो
शायद फिर इस जनम में मुलाक़ात हो न हो
(Movie: Woh Kaun Thi)
Example
Kehne ko jashn-e-bahaaraa hai,Ishq yeh dekh ke hairaan hai,
Phool se khushboo khafa khafa hain gulshan mein,
Chupa hai koi ranj fiza ki chilman mein.
(Movie: Jodhaa Akbar)
The next song should begin with /m/ (the 'n' in mein is only a nasalization rather than a complete consonant, similar to bon/good in French):
Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya, Har fiqr ko dhuen mein uraata chala gaya,
Barbadiyon ka sog manana fizool tha, Barbadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya.
(Movie: Hum Dono (1961 film)
Hum Dono (1961 film)
Hum Dono is a 1961 Hindi film produced by Dev Anand and Navketan films. Written by Vijay Anand, the film is directed by Amarjeet. The film stars Dev Anand in a double role, and also has Nanda, Sadhana and Leela Chitnis....
)
The next song should begin with (y) and so on.
Related games
Bait BaziBait Bazi
Bait Bazi is a verbal game and a genre of Urdu poetry played by composing verses of Urdu poems. The game is common among Urdu speakers in Pakistan and India. It resembles the Malayalam Aksharaslokam and, more generally, the British Crambo....
is a related game played with Urdu poetry instead of movie songs. Several word chain
Word chain
Word chain is an American game also known as Grab on Behind, Last and First, and Alpha and Omega, is a word game in which players come up with words that begin with the letter or letters that the previous word ended with. A category of words is usually chosen, there is a time limit such as five...
games also resemble antakshri in their basic methodology.
See also
- Antakshari – The Great Challenge
- Antakshari Intercollegiate ChampionshipAntakshari Intercollegiate ChampionshipTitan Antakshari - Intercollegiate Championship is an Indian musical game show that airs on Zee TV every Friday. The show is a replacement of the Titan Antakshari -L'il Champs.- Concept :...
- Bait BaziBait BaziBait Bazi is a verbal game and a genre of Urdu poetry played by composing verses of Urdu poems. The game is common among Urdu speakers in Pakistan and India. It resembles the Malayalam Aksharaslokam and, more generally, the British Crambo....
- Bollywood songsBollywood songsBollywood songs, more formally known as Hindi movie songs, are songs featured in Bollywood films, often performed in item numbers.The language of Hindi movie songs, generally termed Hindi, can be complex. Some songs are saturated with Urdu and Persian terms and it is not uncommon to hear use of...