Zinda Banda Meaning

Zinda is Hindi/Urdu for 'alive', while 'banda' is a casual word for a person. Originally 'banda' meant a follower of god, but it has now become synonymous with a 'person' in casual language.

Hence, the words 'Zinda banda' literally mean someone who is alive. While the words may literally sound odd, poetically, they would mean someone who is lively or energetic.

Zinda Banda is the title of a song from Jawan (also spelled as Jawaan). Jawan is a word used for a soldier, though it literally means 'young'.

The words are used in a popular couplet by Wasim Barelvi, even though the original couplet doesn't use them.

Here is the original couplet which is credited along with the official YouTube video of the song, as well as mentioned by Shah Rukh Khan on Twitter.

उसूलों पर जहाँ आँच आए टकराना ज़रूरी है
जो ज़िंदा हो तो फिर ज़िंदा नज़र आना ज़रूरी है

Which translates to: It's imperative to confront when your principles are at stake. If you're alive, it's imperative to look alive.

The version in the film is:

उसूलों पर जहाँ आँच आए टकराना ज़रूरी है
बंदा ज़िंदा हो तो फिर ज़िंदा नज़र आना ज़रूरी है

There is hardly any change in the meaning, even though it changes the 'meter' (or the length) of the couplet a bit. SRK's next line, 'बंदा हो, तो ज़िंदा हो' means 'a person should be alive', which is more like, if you exist, you better be ready to fight for what you believe in.