These are functional equivalences. However, when Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor) says, “Main udna chahta hoon, Naina. Par tu mujhe zameen se chipka deti hai,” the subtitle reads: “I want to fly, Naina. But you keep me grounded.” Here, the translation is near-perfect, preserving the metaphor. The greatest challenges arise with Hindi idioms. Consider the dialogue when Naina (Deepika Padukone) confronts Bunny:
“Kabira khada bazaar mein, maange sabki khair / Na kahu se dosti, na kahu se bair.” Literal: “Kabira stands in the marketplace, wishes everyone well / Not friends with anyone, not enemies with anyone.” Official subtitle: “Kabira stands in the crowd, wishing well for all / No friendship with anyone, no enmity with anyone.” yeh jawaani hai deewani english subtitles
This is serviceable but loses the poetic meter and the bazaar (marketplace) as a metaphor for the world. Worse, the playful song Balam Pichkari —full of sexual innuendo and Holi festival references—is flattened: These are functional equivalences
“Tumhari to aankhen hi uchhal rahi hain.” Literal: “Your eyes are literally jumping.” (Meaning: You’re clearly lying or overexcited.) Subtitle: “You’re clearly lying.” But you keep me grounded
The visual pun (jumping eyes) is lost, replaced with a direct statement. Similarly, the phrase “Jale pe namak chhidakna” (to rub salt on a wound) becomes “You’re making it worse.” While accurate, the flavor of the original evaporates. Songs in YJHD are diegetic and non-diegetic, and their subtitles are disastrous for poetry. Take Kabira , a soulful track about seeking belonging:
Lost in Translation, Found in Emotion: A Linguistic and Cultural Analysis of the English Subtitles in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
[Generated Name: Dr. A. Sharma] Course: Transcultural Cinema & Subtitling Studies