Saat Rang Ke Sapne

LIFE LESSONS WITH MANNA DEY

2025-05-01T14:49:00.000+00:00

Whenever a voice was needed to show sincerity, pathos, emotions and intensity, Prabodh Chandra Dey, who we all know as Manna Dey, was the one most music directors would turn to. Having to leave a career as wrestler because of weak eyesight, Manna Dey became the wrestling world’s loss and the musical world’s tremendous gain. A career that began in pre-independence India and spanned the years to the start of the 21^st century, Manna Dey is a precious jewel of Hindi film music.

Although Manna Dey is mostly referred to for his brilliant classical songs, here is a look at his songs which teach us about life. Here we go with Life lessons with Manna Dey.

1. Nirbal se ladaai balwan ki Toofan aur diya 1956

Fighting for survival against all odds can be exhausting, particularly if one has to do it without hope. This song relates an arduous struggle of a young boy against the most harrowing circumstances, and yet manages to be one of the most redeeming examples of hope. It uses the metaphor of an earthen clay lamp struggling to stay alight in the face of a relentless storm. I remember writing down these lines as a child and thinking that these could well fit into a treasured book of poetry. Sung by Manna Dey and chorus, and composed by Vasant Desai, this song defines everything that is special about Bharat Vyas, an exceptionally talented poet. To read more about Kavi Bharat Vyas on this blog, click HERE .

Kahin door thaa toofan

Diye se thaa balavaan

Saare jag ko masalane machal rahaa

Jhaad ho yaa pahaad, de vo pal me ukhaad

Soch-soch ke zameen pe thaa uchhal rahaa

Ek nanhaa-saa diyaa, usane hamalaa kiyaa …

Ab dekho leelaa vidhi ke vidhaan ki

Ye kahaani hai diye ki aur toofan ki

2. Kasme wade pyar wafa Upkaar 1967

A cynical look at life which expresses a lot of hard-hitting life truths. Composed by Kalyanji Anandji and written by Indeevar, Manna Dey infuses the deepest of emotions into this song, a song which is believed to have reduced Lata Mangeshkar to tears the first time she heard it.

Sukh mein tere saath chalenge
Dukh mein sab mukh modenge
Duniyaa wale tere bankar
Tera hi dil todenge
Dete hain bhagwaan ko dhokha
Insaan ko kyaa chhodenge

3. Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo Mera Naam Joker 1970

Some of the most painful life truths are woven into this song from Mera Naam Joker by Kavi Neeraj. Manna Dey’s voice gives this song the sincerity it needs to drive the truth home even stronger. The occasional alt voice for Raj Kapoor, Manna Dey songs in RK films are usually the strong light of learning and life lessons. Dil ka haal sune dilwala from Shree 420 is another song that comes to mind. Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo is seemingly sung for a circus artiste who bumps into Raj Kapoor at the start of the song. The song uses that metaphor all through to tell us to tread carefully in life as it is a precarious place which can be cruel and unsympathetic to people who are struggling. There is a pause after the first two lines when the same circus artiste shoots out of a cannon onto the trapeze net and the line ‘Tu jahan aaya hai’ continues the song. This song is one of Manna Dey’s most wonderful renditions.

Girne se darta hai kyon
Marne se darta hai kyon
Thokar tu jab na khayega
Paas kisi gham ko na jab tak bulayega
Zindagi hai cheez kya nahin jaan paayegaa
Rotaa huaa aaya hai
Rotaa chalaa jaaegaa
Aye bhai ….

4. Phir kahin koi phool khila Anubhav 1971

Sometimes we come across songs that do not have a clear-cut single meaning, they are open to interpretation. Phir kahin koi phool khila is among those songs which have many layers. Every time I hear it, depending on where I am in life, it offers me answers. The picturisation of this song is my favourite among all Sanjeev Kumar songs as this goes closest to what one would imagine him to be like in real life. In fact, the entire film shows Sanjeev Kumar as someone we would know in real life. The song shows slice of life shots on a day where Sanjeev has stayed home from work because of a mild fever. The day-to-day routine in a household when the husband is home and the wife’s housework has a certain happy spark of his unexpected company at home. Tanuja chopping vegetables in the room, Sanjeev removing specs and falling asleep, a certain closeness and indulgence of an unexpected break from routine… all of these are beautifully shown on screen by Basu Bhattacharya. Composed by Kanu Roy and written by Kapil Kumar, Manna Dey renders this song in a very calming and introspective manner.

Mann kaa samundar pyasa hua
Kyun kisi se mange duva
Leharon kaa laga jo mela
Toofaan naa kaho usko
Phir kahi koi phool khila
Chaahat naa kaho usko
Phir kahi….

5. Dekhiye to kya ajeeb haal hai Kal Aaj Aur Kal 1971

To my great surprise, I have seen that this song is relatively unknown to many Manna Dey fans. That’s grave injustice. This song is an ignored masterpiece and deserves to be right in front whenever any discussion on Manna Dey songs comes up. Filmed in the background on Raj Kapoor, this is one of the only two songs on Raj Kapoor in the film, the other song being Tik tik tik tik which is sung by Mukesh.

Dekhiye to kya ajeeb haal hai
sochiye to kya ajeeb baat hai
ek paav chal raha alag alag dusra kisi ke sath sath hai

Neeraj uses interesting analogies to describe Raj Kapoor’s state of mind as he is torn between his father and his son, as he tries to keep peace between them. Such an unusual pace for the tune. Perfectly reflects the turmoil in RK's mind as he is exhausted balancing the demands of his father and his son. Sometimes, life brings up situations where we realise that trying to agree with everyone just to keep peace does not bring the desired results and we end up being the target of their anger instead.

ek hawa chali ke khil utha chaman
ek hawa chali ke sab ujad gaya
ek kadam uthake raah mil gayi
ek kadam uthake path bichad gaya…

Shankar Jaikishan wielded the musical baton for the last time for RK banner in this film. A swan song for what turned out to be the end of a long partnership, with the sad demise of Jaikishan.

6. Zindagi kaisi hai paheli Anand 1971

The starting notes of the song as Rajesh Khanna releases the balloons and watches them as they rise in the air creates an iconic moment in cinema. Written by Yogesh and composed by Salil Choudhary, the magic of Manna Dey’s voice further transcends this song to sheer magic. The balloons sway upwards into near oblivion and the camera shifts to Rajesh Khanna whose eyes express wonder, curiosity, sadness and awe at the thought of his impending end and what lies beyond. We do not know why a person leaves this world abruptly nor do we know where he goes after that. Deep questions treated with a classic light sensitive touch by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Jinhone sajaaye yahaan mele
sukh-dukh sang-sang jhele
wahi chunkar khaamoshi
yoon chale jaaye akele kahaan…

7. Tum besahara ho to Anurodh 1977

This song has two versions, labelled happy and sad in the album but I find both of them equally inspiring. Ashok Kumar sings this to school children as an anthem. The sad version begins with Vinod Mehra thinking of ending his life and halting as he hears the beginning refrain of this song. He turns out to be the poet of these lyrics and his own creation pulls him back from the brink of giving up on life.

Jeevan toh ek jaisa hotaa hai

Koi hasta koi rotaa hai

Sabr se jeena aasan hotaa hai

Fikr se jeena mushkil hotaa hai.

Simple truth of life stated in a very clear manner.

Having limited myself to listing only seven songs, I have not managed to include my favourite Raat gayee phir din aata hai from Boot Polish (You can read about it on my blog post Musical Journey with Boot Polish )

Hope you enjoyed reading about life lessons with Manna Dey. Do comment with any additions that you can think of to this list!

Magical Melodies of Glorious Geeta Dutt

2023-07-19T14:00:00.004+00:00

Selecting just seven songs of Geeta Dutt is not easy so I looked for a hook by which I could narrow this down to a lesser-known array of her songs. The hook was easy to find and I decided to focus on seven different music directors who she has sung for. The difficult part was the decision to not add S D Burman, O P Nayyar or Hemant Kumar to the list of MDs. It may feel like sacrilege to most as she has sung so many beautiful songs for them. Any reference of Geeta Dutt and our mind moves to ‘Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam’ or ‘Babuji Dheere chalna’ or ‘Piya aiso jiya mein samaye gayo re’. However, today we will take a look at her somewhat lesser talked about gems for other famous music directors.

1. Music Director: Bulo C Rani

Ghoonghat ke pat khol re Jogan 1950

The film Jogan had 15 songs, out of which 12 songs were sung by Geeta Dutt. Jogan is a beautiful showcase of true gems in Geeta Dutt’s voice. Ten out of the twelve songs are her solos. The film is based on a complex love story where an atheist falls in love with a jogan, and most of these songs are bhajans by Kabir and Meerabai. The music was so popular that it was said that Jogan had three major stars: Dilip Kumar, Nargis and the songs of the film. Ghoonghat ke pat khol is the one most likely to be known to all as is Mat ja mat ja jogi. Nargis has listed this film as among her best, similarly Geeta Dutt counts Mat ja jogi from this film as one of her ten best songs. Bulo C Rani’s (Bulo C Rani’s real name was Bulochand Chandiramani) association with Geeta Dutt lasted over 10 years from late forties to late fifties and it gave us nearly 70 beautiful songs with their combination.

Trivia: Jogan was actor Rajendra Kumar’s debut film where he plays the role of Dilip Kumar’s friend.

2. Music director: Roshan

Khayalon mein kisike 1950 Bawre Nain

Sung by Geeta Dutt and Mukesh, this song was a part of this successful film which was the second Kedar Sharma film that Roshan composed for. This film established Roshan as a thriving music director. All the songs for the heroine of this film were sung by Rajkumari Dubey but this one song for the second lead Vijayalakshmi was given to Geeta Dutt. This song now has pride of place in every Geeta Dutt compilation CD.

3. Music director: Chitragupt

Naachti jhoomti muskurati aa gayee pyar ki raat Miss Mala 1954

Unknown to most, Geeta Dutt has sung close to 100 songs for Chitragupt. This duet with Kishore Kumar is a rare occasion where Geeta Dutt provides playback for Vyjayantimala who stars with Kishore Kumar in this film. This film also has a very sweet lullaby sung by Geeta Dutt ‘Nanhe so ja re’.

Trivia: From all her duets, Geeta Dutt has sung maximum songs with Mohd. Rafi. Out of around 155 duets of Geeta Dutt and Rafi, Chitragupt has composed around 30 of them!

4. Music director: Vasant Desai

Meri aan Bhagwan Toofan aur diya 1956

V Shantaram's Toofan aur Diya had three songs of Geeta Dutt. She gave the playback to Nanda’s kid brother played by Satish Vyas. "Meri aan bhagwan kan kan se ladi hain to tum se bhi aaj ladegi, meri baat tumhein rakhni padegi” is a song with some of the most powerful lyrics by Bharat Vyas and has been sung by Geeta Dutt with such elan and emotion.

5. Madan mohan

“Aye dil mujhe bata de tu kis pe aa gaya hain" Bhai Bhai 1956

This is a delightful solo picturised on Shyama. The lyrics written by Rajinder Kishen are playful and laced with mischief, “Ae dil mujhe bata de tu kis pe aa gaya hai, Woh kaun hai jo aakar khwabon pe chaa gaya hai”. Madan Mohan composed this delightful tune which Geeta Dutt sang in her distinct style.

6. Salil Choudhury

Aankhon mein tum Half Ticket 1962

Geeta Dutt has sung only seven songs for Salil Choudhury in his 19 year career in Hindi films. These were three solos and four duets, where the duets were one each with Mohd. Rafi, Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar. Aankhon mein tum is a chirpy duet filmed on Madhubala and Kishore Kumar, written by Shailendra in his classic style.

7. Kanu Roy

Koi chupke se aake Anubhav 1971

Many are mistaken that Kanu Roy was her brother. (Her brother was actually Mukul Roy who was a music composer and producer, her famous ‘Do chamakti aankhon mein’ was sung for his film Detective.) Geeta Dutt has sung just four songs in total for Kanu Roy but these songs are always part of everybody’s list while thinking of their favourite top ten songs of this singer. Anubhav was the quintessential swan song of this erstwhile singer as she passed away in 1972. The velvety smooth tones of her dulcet voice in the songs of Anubhav show us how much she still had to offer even at the fag end of her days.

Born as Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri in a zamindar’s family in Faridpur, East Bengal in 1930, and going on to be known as Geeta Roy, then Geeta Dutt, her voice and music has remained timeless for all of us to treasure forever.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at Geeta Dutt’s songs with seven composers over the years. Do write in the comments below with your favourite Geeta Dutt song!

SEVEN ICONIC 70’s SONGS OF ARUNA IRANI

2023-04-17T19:04:00.004+00:00

The seventies was a very melodious decade and a constant thread through all those years was an actress who never got the lead role in the films that we will mention in this post but made a lasting impression with her roles and songs in those films. The theme for this post is the 70s songs of Aruna Irani. I have cherry picked seven songs of this versatile and beautiful actress, keeping in mind how she made each of these songs memorable with her charismatic performance.

1. Dilbar dil se pyaare Caravan (1971)

A dulcet Lata solo, written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music by R D Burman, this is an iconic Aruna Irani song and ranks among the favourites of all her fans. This was an apt song to start the list with although it fits into the chronological order, too. In a recent interview, Aruna Irani acknowledges this as one of her favourite songs and has shown gratitude to Lata Mangeshkar for giving her the biggest song of her career.

This song is a melodious blend of serpentine Arab music and Romani folk music boosted by the classic guitar refrain and lifted by Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics. Aruna Irani plays the role of Nisha, who is a knife thrower in a band of banjaras and is desperately in love with Mohan (Jeetendra) who drives the van of the caravan. Dilber dilse pyaare is a lovelorn tribute from a woman in love which almost celebrates Nisha’s unrequited passion, revelling in the joy it gives her.

Trivia: Aruna Irani made her debut in the film Gunga Jumna (1961) playing Azra's childhood character.

2. Choron ko saare nazar aate Naya Zamana (1971)

Composed by S D Burman and written by Anand Bakshi, this solo by Lata Mangeshkar is a lesser known song of Naya Zamana. Aruna Irani plays the role of Rekha, Dharmendra’s sister, who is accused of stealing in a party. Feeling awkward that the gift she brought may not be good enough for such rich hosts, she takes it back from the table on which all the gifts are kept. The host’s wife (Indrani Mukherjee) thinks that she is stealing one of the gifts. The humiliation she faces feels very unjust to her and what could have been a typical situation with a party song is lifted to a memorable cinema moment by Aruna Irani. This is probably the only party song that Aruna Irani would have done where she didn’t need to dance and she herself was the focus of the song for her expressions. This song underlines the fact that she wasn’t given her due in films and that she was a very able actress.

3. Ae phasa Bobby (1973)

Aruna Irani plays the role of Neema, who turns into a friend and guide for Raju in the film Bobby. The song is placed at the climax of the film, a classic rich boy-poor girl tale, where on realising that Raju (Rishi Kapoor) is being forced to leave Bobby (Dimple Kapadia) and marry a girl who isn’t his choice, Neema hints to Raju that maybe the only way out of this desperate situation is to elope with Bobby. Aruna Irani also appears in another song in this film ‘Main shayar toh nahin’.

Trivia : Bobby was a trend setting films and was a major box office success as it got the second highest collection of all 70s Hindi films (No prizes for guessing that Sholay was the highest earner in that decade!). Also, the film was remade in Persian as Parvaz dar Ghafas in 1980.

4. Sapna mera toot gaya Khel Khel Mein (1973)

When one has shared one’s dreams with someone and that person is gone, those dreams feel hollow and one feels shattered. Aruna Irani nails these emotions as she reminisces about Rakesh Roshan in this song. The song switches between memories in the antaras and back to reality with the mukhda. The slight pause before the mukhda as one is jerked back to the present works to emphasise the despair of broken dreams and the utter emptiness that takes their place. Aruna Irani’s eyes speak volumes in these pauses as she does full justice to the total starkness and despair in this song.

Trivia: Aruna Irani holds the record for the most nominations in the category of Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

5. Panditji mere marne ke baad Roti Kapda aur Makaan (1974)

Composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, this song is a gem in an album where every song is a treasure. This song has slipped past many people’s notice, and I was very keen to include it in this list because of that. A classic diversion song where Aruna Irani diverts the attention of Manmohan to help Manoj Kumar flee. The lyrics are unusual with the intro lines leading up to the mukhda to make it a very catchy beginning. Lata Mangeshkar sings this Verma Mallik song with the right mystery and pathos as the song leads up to the character Poonam played by Aruna Irani dying at the end of the song while helping Manoj Kumar escape.

5. Rang le aayenge Bhanwar (1976)

A song full of passive aggressive asides by Randhir Kapoor, ably aided by Aruna Irani towards a hapless Parveen Babi who cannot say the truth and has to bear the onslaught of their accusations. A classic party scene where the hero has a lot of angst against the heroine, and she has no option but to listen amidst a room full of curious party goers. This is a brilliant creation by R D Burman, written by Anand Bakshi and sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosale, with underlined pathos by the heart wrenching sarangee. Although the song’s focus is on Randhir Kapoor and Parveen Babi, Aruna Irani steals the show with the sharp sarcasm in her expressions and the inner intention to create a rift between the couple.

Trivia: I have come across some articles that claim that Aruna Irani and actress Bindu are first cousins. However, there has been no way of confirming this, so I leave it to my readers to comment below if they know this as true!

Note: A helpful reader has since confirmed that Aruna Irani and Bindu are indeed cousins with this link from The Kapil Sharma Show.

7. One two cha cha cha Shalimar (1978)

This is a very catchy song that helps to starts off a very unusual film on a brilliant pace. Written by Anand Bakshi and music by R. D. Burman, this song is sung by Usha Uthup. Aruna Irani has a guest appearance in this film for this song. She plays the role of a dance teacher, and the song is filmed in a dance school where she is shown teaching the steps for the Cuban dance form Cha Cha Cha. This is one of her briefest appearances on screen in a film, but she makes an indelible mark on the minds of the audience. Shalimar, for many of us, is Aruna Irani’s One two cha cha cha.

It was very difficult to narrow down my favourite Aruna Irani songs to a mere seven. I have had to leave out many of my favourites like Kya gazab karte ho ji (Love story), Sham-e-furqat ka dhal gaya saya re (Sanyasi) Humein tumse pyar kitna (Kudrat) because they were not from the 70s, except for Sanyasi! Do comment below with your favourite Aruna Irani songs, no matter which decade you select them from!

Seven sparkling songs of Rati Agnihotri

2022-12-09T15:02:00.007+00:00

Two posters adorned the walls of my room in my schooldays. One was of Kumar Gaurav and the other was of Rati Agnihotri. They remain my ‘popstars’ of my teens.

Seeing Rati Agnihotri films now has made me realise that her films always had great songs, most of them by Laxmikant Pyarelal and R D Burman. She was one of the few actresses of her time to have music director Ravi compose music for one of her films (Tawaif). Here’s following her journey with some of her best melodies.

1. Solah baras ki baali umar Ek Dujjhe ke liye 1981

Ek Dujjhe Ke Liye was directed by K. Balachander. It was a remake of his Tamil film Maro Charitra. Rati’s first Hindi film and definitely among her best. This film was a super hit in its time and has made a place in Indian films history as one of the lasting love stories. Vasu-Sapna became legendary at that time and rewatching this film tells us why. The magic is intact in this film with the chemistry between Kamal Hassan and Rati, no matter how many times we watch it. It was tough to choose just one song from this film as Rati Agnihotri shines brilliantly in all of them. Based on Raag Ahir Bhairav, Solah baras ki touches very poignant chords as Sapna visits various places to relive moments that she spent there with Vasu. Written by Anand Bakshi and music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, this song is rendered beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar.

Trivia: The tune of Solah baras ki can be spotted in the background score composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal for Raj Kapoor’s film Bobby during the scene where Bobby ( Dimple Kapadia) leaves for Kashmir.

2. Chalo haseen geet ek banayein Shaukeen 1982

Rati plays the role of Anita as a singer at a local club in Goa. This film was a huge hit and was the among the highest grossing movies of 1982. The music of this film was by R D Burman and the song Chalo haseen geet is sung by Ashok Kumar and Chirashree Bhattacharya and written by Yogesh. A fresh and breezy song which is timeless and can get our feet tapping every time we hear it.

Trivia: Shaukeen is based on Samaresh Basu’s novel. Gulzar’s Kitaab and Namkeen are also based on this author’s novels.

3. Aisa to socha na tha Pasand apni apni 1983

Pasand Apni Apni was a Basu Chatterjee film and the song Aisa toh socha na tha is filmed in the classic Basu Chatterjee style. Local train of Bombay, heroine in a simple cotton saree with situations and emotions that the common man can relate to. It is interesting to note how Rati Agnihotri readily took on a deglamourised role in this film. She plays the role of a struggling actress whose life path crosses with a millionaire (Mithun Chakraborty) and events unfold in a light yet engrossing tale. Aisa toh socha na tha is sung by Asha Bhosale with music composed by Bappi Lahiri and lyrics by Yogesh.

4. Boom Boom Star 1983

Right after the Nazia Hassan wave in India with Qurbani, Nazia Hassan and her brother Zoheb Hassan made a couple of private albums with Biddu, following which Biddu produced Kumar Gaurav -Rati Agnihotri film Star. Rati Agnihotri was the only screen persona to get the playback of Nazia Hassan on screen besides Zeenat Aman. Star had a very successful soundtrack and Boom Boom remains mint fresh every time we see it. She played the role of Maya who works at a nightclub.

As my opening paragraph will tell you, knowing that Rati Agnihotri and Kumar Gaurav were coming together in a film had made my schoolfriends and me nearly delirious with expectations. It was a bit of a setback to see that they were not paired together in the actual sense ( I will avoid spoilers here in case someone sees the film now!) It was also a disappointment that the film didn’t click at the box office.

5. Sajna sun sun Rishta Kagaz Ka 1983

The first thing you will realise when you see this song is that the whole situation looks very familiar. Aarti, played by Rati Agnihotri, is trying to woo and distract Arun , played by Raj Babbar , from his work. It feels like this song was made as a tribute to Bindiya chamkegi from Do Raaste. The tribute is complete with Rati wearing an orange saree with a clear accolade and salute to Mumtaz in this song. This is purely my conjecture and, despite searching on the net, I have managed to find no reference to this. However, I am totally convinced that this song was filmed keeping Bindiya chamkegi in mind. It just seems too much of a coincidence to have so many unintended similar points in a song (I have this same conjecture for another song in this list and you will come across that soon!)

6. Mujhe tum yaad karna Mashaal 1984

The lyrics of this song caught my fancy the first time I heard them. All songs in hindi films that precede any parting between lovers talk of parting as an anguish of love and say things like ‘Bhoolne waale yaad na aa’ or ‘tum yaad na aaya karo’. This song instead asks to make sure they remember each other.

Mujhe tum yaad karna aur

Mujhko yaad aana tum

Even the stanzas are out of the box with the boy telling the girl to meet people and stay busy and smiling, while she tells him to smile and be friendly with every approaching girl. Which is very different from the standard parting duet where the boy and girl concentrate on telling each other to keep on remembering them!

Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar to the music composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar, this song is written by Javed Akhtar. Rati Agnihotri plays the role of Geeta who is a press reporter and comes across Raja (Anil Kapoor) who decides to turn over a new leaf under the mentoring of the editor Vinod Kumar (Dilip kumar) who she works for.

7. Bhool ho gayee jaane de Zabardast 1985

The conjecture I mentioned for another song is for this one! This song also feels like a clear tribute to Shammi Kapoor- Asha Parekh song O mere Sona re from Teesri Manzil. Here, there is a distinct connection as both are Nasir Hussain films. The heroine wooing the hero, the female solo with lyrics laced in mischievous pleading, the broken handbag strap of the hero halfway through the song…well, this was elementary, my dear Watson! This is an Asha Bhosale solo composed by R D Burman and written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. O mere sona re also had the exact same creators. If you see both these songs one after the other, you will realise the joie de vivre is the same in both, a lot of which is a credit to the actors Rati Agnihotri and Rajeev Kapoor as Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh were a tough act to follow. People who just do remixes should observe these songs to understand what a real tribute is. The entire creation is new, there is a lot of hard work and the team brings together something that is a masterpiece even when seen after the original.

We see that Rati’s films have very little stereotyping if we follow her career graph. From a career-oriented journalist in Mashaal to a housewife in Rishta Kagaz ka to a tawaif in the film Tawaif, she took on a wide range of roles and made a mark even though the films in those days mostly centered on the hero. Hope you enjoyed following Rati Agnihotri’s musical journey in Bollywood. Comment with your favourite Rati Agnihotri song!

Melodies of Rajesh Khanna with Laxmikant Pyarelal

2022-11-01T13:36:00.005+00:00

Rajesh Khanna films have always been synonymous with good music. While a lot has been written about the magical combo of Pancham with Rajesh Khanna, not enough is written about the fact that this superstar had nearly equal number of hits with Laxmikant Pyarelal. Starting with Do Raaste in 1969, this team continued giving melodious songs up to Nazrana in 1987. Rajesh Khanna and Laxmikant Pyarelal had 26 films together.

Interesting Trivia: The combination of Rajesh Khanna and Laxmikant Pyarelal had 21 songs featured in Binaca Geetmala.

Mere naseeb mein ae dost Do Raaste 1969

The first film in LP- Rajesh Khanna combination was Raj Khosla’s Do Raaste which became a super hit in 1969. Based on the raag Yaman Kalyan, Mere naseeb mein ae dost was the only song sung by Kishore Kumar for Rajesh Khanna in this film. Mohammed Rafi gave playback for the other two songs (Yeh reshmi zulfein and Chhup gaye saare nazare). A moving melody that gave the classic poor boy -rich girl scenario a deft emotional touch with lyrics written by Anand Bakshi .

Gareeb kaise mohabbat kare ameeron se
Bichhad gae hain kaee raanjhe apanee heeron se
Kisee ko apane muqaddar pe ikhtiyaar nahin…
Mere naseeb mein e dost tera pyaar nahin

Dilbar jaani chali hawa mastaani Haathi Mere Saathi 1971

Apart from being one of the most melodious songs, Dilbar jaani is definitely among the most unusual duets on the Hindi film screen because of two reasons. Firstly, it is a romantic duet which is also a lullaby. Secondly, it is sung not only in the presence of elephants and other animals, but the second stanza of it is sung to the animals! Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar light up this song with the mesmerising lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The start of the song with the whistle and the softening of Kishore’s voice for Saare soye tu kyon jaage saathi kya hai baat are just some of the magic moments in this song.

Interesting trivia: This was the first film written by Salim Javed.

Waada tera waada Dushman 1972

This song would definitely get top rating by almost every Rajesh Khanna fan. It is said that the audience threw coins at the screen when this song appeared. Rajesh Khanna defied his hero image by taking on this role of Surjeet Singh, a truck driver who is almost an anti-hero in the beginning of the film and is accused of drunk driving and homicide. He went on to win the Filmfare award for best actor for this role.

Sachchaai chup nahin sakti banaawaT ke asulon se
ki kushboo aa nahin sakti kabhi kaagaz ke phoolon se!
Main intezaar karoon
yeh dil nisaar karoon
main tujhse pyaar karoon
O magar kaise aitbaar karoon?
jhootha hai tera waada…

Mere dil mein aaj kya hai Daag 1973

Sung by Kishore Kumar and lyrics by Sahir, this song is sheer magic. Rajesh Khanna played the complex character of Sunil in the film Daag with a lot of finesse. The implausible script seems believable because of the earnestness that Rajesh Khanna gave to the role. Daag was filmed when Rajesh Khanna was at the peak of his popularity. The chartbuster score by Laxmikant Pyarelal contributed in equal measure to the thundering success of this film. Strangely, expecting a lukewarm response, Daag was released in a low-profile manner. Within six days of the release, the number of prints had to be tripled.

Interesting trivia: Daag was Yash Chopra’s first film as an independent producer.

Yeh jo public hai yeh sab jaanti hai Roti 1974

Roti was a home production of Rajesh Khanna. It was actually the first film of Manmohan Desai which had music composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. LP and Manmohan Desai went on to have a very long and fruitful association after this film. The songs of this film gained a lot of popularity and the phrase Yeh jo public hai remains relevant for every phase we live in. Sung by Kishore Kumar and worded by Anand Bakshi, the first line of this song has become a catch phrase for expressing the angst of the common man over the years. The song is filmed around the gorgeous locales of Kashmir. Rajesh Khanna discovers the hoarded grains in Jeevan’s store and the song pinpoints the effect that corruption has on the common man. Roti remains one of Manmohan Desai’s underrated films.

Interesting trivia: Jeetendra does a cameo appearance in this song!

Heere-moti tumne chhupaaye kuchh hum log na bole
Ab aataa-chaawal bhi chhupaa to bhookhon ne munh khole
Are bheekh na maange, are karz na maange,

Bheekh na maange karz na maange
Ye apnaa haq maangti hai
Public hai ye sab jaanti hai

Phool ahista phenko Prem Kahani 1975

Every time Mukesh sang for Rajesh Khanna, it made people sit up as they were used to hearing Kishore or Rafi as his playback. This Mukesh- Lata duet worded by Anand Bakshi ranks among the best of Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz songs. There is so much crackling chemistry and palpable anguish between the two in this song. Our heart goes out to Shashi Kapoor who, for some reason, seems totally unaware of it despite the clear underlining by the lyrics! The song is filmed with all the three actors seated and camera is focused on their faces for the entire song. With understated expressions which speak volumes, the three actors have nailed this complicated story situation in the film. This song begins with a back-and-forth poetry recital by Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz which finally culminates into this song. These were the days when songs were not used to just fill up space, they had a lot to say and add to the story.

Kaha aapka ye dagaa hi sahi
Ke hum beqadar bewafa hi sahi
Bade shaukh se jaaiye chhod kar
Magar sehane gulshan se yun tod kar
Phool aahistaa phenko
Phool bade naazuk hote hain
Waise bhi to ye badd-kismat
Nok pe kaanton ki sote hain….

Aate jaate khubsoorat Anurodh 1977

This song is among the few that have been filmed in a radio station, where the main character is a singer. Sung by Kishore Kumar and worded by Anand Bakshi, the singer reminisces about meeting a girl in the middle of the night in a car garage. The situation that the song describes is uncannily similar to Kishore Kumar and Madhubala in Chalti ka naam gaadi (Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si). Anurodh was a very melodious album in 1977 as the 70s hurriedly added precious gems to our collection before the desolate 80s swept in. This film has many Kishore solos for Rajesh Khanna (Aap ke anurodh pe, Mere dil ne tadap ke, Jab dard nahin tha seene mein) each of which deserves a place in this list, ideally.

An interesting aspect of Laxmikant Pyarelal- Rajesh Khanna combination is that LP used Rafi as well as Kishore Kumar nearly on equal basis for his playback.

Limiting the list to seven, as always, has made me miss out on some beautiful songs from this team. It was tough to omit Mehboob ki mehndi, Aan milo sajana, Palkon ki chhaon mein… to name just a few! Do write in with your favourites in the comments below!

SEVEN SCINTILLATING SONGS OF SHABANA AZMI

2022-09-18T12:54:00.002+00:00

When we talk of Shabana Azmi, we usually refer to her acting prowess which has, of course, been brilliant over the years. She has nailed every role she has acted in. However, here we are going to talk about her songs that have made a mark in our minds and remain etched forever with the roles she played, each song thus has a distinct identity because she has always immersed herself completely in the roles she has portrayed. Shabana Azmi began her career in 1974 with films like Ankur and Parinay. I start my list with Kadambari. The list follows a chronological order (as all my lists on this blog do)!

1. Ambar ki ik paak suraahi Kadambari 1975

The song Ambar ki ik paak surahi from her film Kadambari is written by Amrita Pritam, the film is based on her novel as well. Chetna (her role in Kadambari) talks of the purity of her love for Amit (played by Vijay Arora) in the film. The lyrics compare what others may call sin to the chasteness of moonlight. Asha Bhosale sings this beautiful song, composed by Ustad Vilayat Khan, the eminent sitarist. This song is a precious gem with maestros like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia playing the flute, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma playing the santoor (don’t miss the beautiful strains of the santoor at the beginning of this song), Shujat Singh with the composer himself playing the sitar and Bhupinder Singh with the guitar. This is a rare, rare song, to be savoured in peace.

2. Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya Swami 1977

If I had to select one song that embodied the feeling of falling in love, it would be this. Swami was the first Basu Chatterjee film for which Rajesh Roshan held the baton of music director. (Read more on this here HERE )

Amit Khanna penned this beautiful rain drenched solo of Lata Mangeshkar. The whirl of emotions of Saudamini (played by Shabana Azmi with such passion) as she blissfully gets drenched in the rain while welcoming the joy of being in love with Narendra (played by Vikram) makes this song magic on celluloid.

3. Main toh kaare badarwa se haari Devta 1978

A beautiful Lata solo composed by R D Burman and written by Gulzar, this again is a lesser-known song of Shabana Azmi and deserves much greater recognition. A very lilting tune. Shabana Ami costarred with Sanjeev Kumar in this film, although this song is picturised on Benjamin Gilani.

4. O shaam aayi rangon mein Jeena Yahan 1979

This is a lesser heard song and I absolutely had to place it in this list. This is one of the sweetest Lata Mangeshkar solos of the 70s composed by Salil Chowdhury and penned by Yogesh. Very few know about it as this film slipped by the radar for many of us. Even though this song is lip synched by Kiran Vairale in the film, the focus is entirely on Shabana Azmi. An everyday song situation where Shabana Azmi is visiting her husband’s family and they have gone for boating as a day out, this song blends into the mood perfectly. Shabana Azmi plays these natural scenes with such normalcy that we forget we are watching a film; it becomes as if we are watching a scene from someone’s personal life.

5. Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho Arth 1982

If I had to select one Shabana Azmi song that is my favourite, it would be this one. I don’t think any actress in the world could have portrayed the emotions the way she has in this song. The vulnerability, extreme sadness, and helplessness of Pooja when she is handed her divorce papers on her birthday, and yet having to try and smile as her friend Raj wishes her a happy birthday are magical cinema moments on screen. Sung and composed by Jagjit Singh and written by her father Kaifi azmi, this song is definitely among the most touching songs of Shabana Azmi.

6. Phir se aaiyo badraa bidesi Namkeen 1982

Written by Gulzar, sung by Asha Bhosale and composed by R D Burman, Phir se aaiyo is filmed with a lot of nostalgia and pathos in the valleys of Himachal Pradesh. Mitthu, who is an intelligent girl, is held back in life by difficult circumstances of her family which are further deepened by her inability to talk. The notes of the song ring with haunting intensity and Shabana Azmi enhances the poignancy by her understated and brilliant portrayal of Mitthu.

Tere jaane ki rut main jaanti hoon ,

Mud ki aane ki reet hai ke nahin?

7. Do naina aur ek kahaani Masoom 1983

The dilemma that Indu faces after being confronted with the reality by her husband and the conflict in being unable to reach out to innocent Rahul as, every time she sees him, the anguish of her husband’s betrayal becomes fresh for her all over again. Shabana Azmi’s eyes speak volumes in this song. This is more than just the lullaby she sings to her two daughters; it is her exhausted mind that is wondering if things will ever be the same again. Sometimes sorrow knocks on the door and stays back as a more-or-less constant factor in life. The way we handle it is what decides the quality of the rest of our life. Gulzar and R D Burman once again, the song is sung by Aarti Mukherjee.

Hope you enjoyed being on this musical journey of Shabana Azmi songs. As I limit my listicles to seven, I am sure I have missed out mentioning many melodious songs here. Do write in with more of your favourite songs of this incredible actress!

Seven songs with poetic imagery of Bharat Vyas

2022-07-28T15:20:00.002+00:00

Bharat Vyas began writing in 1943 and we know most of his famous lines from songs composed by Vasant Desai, Khemchand Prakash and S N Tripathi. He tried his hand in film direction in 1949 where he directed a film called Rangila Rajasthan. He reverted to writing lyrics after that. His greatest hits were in the 50s. He combined the world of Hindi film lyrics and literary poetry which blended together blissfully in his songs. Although the beginning phase of his career had him writing in a mix of Hindi and Urdu, Bharat Vyas went on to write in chaste Hindi for his later songs in his career.

1. Nirbal se ladaai balwan ki Toofan aur diya 1956

Fighting for survival against all odds can be exhausting, particularly if one has to do it without hope. This song relates an arduous struggle of a young boy against the most harrowing circumstances and yet manages to be one of the most redeeming examples of hope. It uses the metaphor of an earthen clay lamp struggling to stay alight in the face of a relentless storm. I remember writing down these lines as a child and thinking that these could well fit into a treasured book of poetry. Sung by Manna Dey and chorus, and composed by Vasant Desai, this song defines everything that is special about this exceptionally talented poet.

Kahin door thaa toofan

Diye se thaa balavaan

Saare jag ko masalane machal rahaa

Jhaad ho yaa pahaad, de vo pal me ukhaad

Soch-soch ke zameen pe thaa uchhal rahaa

Ek nanhaa-saa diyaa, usane hamalaa kiyaa …

Ab dekho leelaa vidhi ke vidhaan ki

Ye kahaani hai diye ki aur toofan ki

2. Ae maalik tere bande hum Do Aankhen barah haath 1957

The sublime feel of this song in this V Shantaram film has elevated it to a prayer over the years. Talking to a higher being and appealing to that power to help us become better versions of ourselves, there is perhaps no better boon that one could ask for from the almighty. Lata Mangeshkar has sung it in a way that has added to the divine feel of this prayer composed by Vasant Desai. An interesting trivia for this song: Bharat Vyas’ brother Brij Mohan Vyas has played an important character in this film. Another interesting trivia related to this film is that noted painter G. Kamble was hired by V Shantaram to paint the movie posters for this film. Kamble produced a 350-ft banner at Opera house theatre in Mumbai in 1957.

Bada kamzor hai aadmi
Ab bhi lakhon hain ismein kami
Par tu jo khada hai dayaalu bada

Teri kirpa se dharti thami
Diya tune hamein jab janam
Tu hi jhelega hum sab ke gham
Neki par chalein aur badi se talein
Taaki hanste huye nikle dam
Aye malik tere bande hum…

It was difficult to choose just one song from this film for this list. Umad ghumad kar aayi re ghata was a close contender as I love the choice of words used to depict gushing rain and thunder in an open field. The lyrics have the most beautiful use of literary devices like similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia ever used in a song. (Kare kare badarava ki jhanan jhanan jhan jhanjhari bajati aayi hai dekho bhaai barkha dulhaniya)

3. Kavi Raja Kavita Ke Ab na kaan marodo Song | Navrang(1959)

Bharat Vyas was known for writing about social issues and life philosophy in simple words, in a way that would connect to the masses. Composed by C Ramchandra and sung by Bharat Vyas himself for this V Shantaram film, this song ranks among poetry of the highest order. A fact of life is that following one’s passion is fine, but one needs to finally earn money in life to remain alive. This point is put across in a hilarious and yet hard-hitting manner by the poet himself as he tells the character, who is also a poet, that he needs to make a living now.

Kaviraja kavita ke mat ab kaan marodo
dhande ki kuchh baat karo kuchh paise jodo
sher shairi kaviraja na kaam aayegi
kavita ki pothi ko deemak khaa jaayegi
bhaav chad rahe anaaj ho raha mehngaa din din
bhookhe maroge raat kategi taare gin gin
is liye kehtaa hoon bhaiyyaa ye sab chhodo
dhande ki kuchh baat karo kuchh paise jodo…

4. Aa laut ke aaja mere meet Rani Roopmati 1959

Sung by Mukesh, and composed by S N Tripathi, this song is basically the first thing most people remember about this film. This song is picturised on Bharat Bhushan who had an excellent run in 1950s with most of his films having the most melodious music. This song has also been sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Ek pal hai hasna ek pal hai rona kaisa hai jeevan ka khela
Ek pal hai milna ek pal bichhadna duniya hai do din ka mela
Ye ghadi na jaye beet

Tujhe mere geet bulaate hai

Aa laut ke aaja mere meet

5. Saranga teri yaad mein Saranga 1961

Sung by Mukesh and music composed by Sardar Malik, this song is one of the most popular romantic solos written by Bharat Vyas. As he is mostly remembered as the poet for serious issues, this song absolutely needed to be in this list to show his range. The pathos of a broken heart has been so effectively captured that hearing this song always adds a sombre note to one’s day. There is no bitterness in this song, it is just filled with sweet memories of his beloved and the days they spent together.

sang tumhare do ghadi, beet gaye jo pal
jal bhar ke mere nain me, aaj huye ojhal
sukh leke dukh de gayi do akhiya chanchal,
saaranga teri yaad mein nain huye bechain
madhur tumhare milan bina, din katate nahi rain,

saaranga teri yaad mein…

6. Yeh kaun chitrakar hai Boond jo ban gayee moti 1967

Sometimes, one feels speechless while looking at the glory of a sunset or a deep valley enveloped in low lying clouds. The only words to describe the spiritual feeling at such moments of being surrounded by the beauty of nature can be found in the lyrics of this song. Sung by Mukesh and composed by Satish Bhatia, this song is a wonderful ode to the creator of this universe. This V Shantaram film explored the theme of education in a very thought-provoking manner.

The scene preceding this song has remained etched in my memory. SatyaPrakash, the schoolteacher, played by Jeetendra, opens a textbook to start reading this poem to a classroom full of students. As he reads the first two lines, the pauses are filled with the creaking of the overhead fans. He realises this is the wrong way to introduce such a beautiful poem to the class. He stops reading and decides to take the children to the beautiful outdoors to really know the essence of this poem.

Kudrat kee iss pavitrata ko tum nihar lo

Iss ke guno ko apne mann me tum utaar lo

Chamakalo aaj lalima, apne lalat kee

Kan kan se jhankatee tumhe chhabee virat kee

Apnee toh aankh ek hai uss kee hajar hai

Yeh kaun chitrakar hai.........

7. Jyot se jyot jalaate chalo Sant Gyaneshwar 1981

This song played at number three in Binaca Geetmala and it is astonishing that this was the only song written by Bharat Vyas that got the Filmfare award nomination for him. This song has two versions, one by Mukesh and the other by Lata Mangeshkar. Composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, this was among the last few films he wrote for as he passed away in 1982.

aashaa tooti mamtaa roothi chhoot gayaa hai kinaaraa
band karo mat dwaar dayaa kaa de do kuchh to sahaaraa
deep dayaa kaa jalaate chalo, prem ki gangaa bahaate chalo
prem ki gangaa bahaate chalo….

Hope you enjoyed this journey with Bharat Vyas’ songs! Do write in with your favourite Bharat Vyas song in the comments below, in case I have missed out mentioning any of your favourite songs from his treasure chest!

Seven songs showcasing Bombay meri jaan

2022-07-13T19:11:00.001+00:00

A topic that touches two of my favourites: Hindi film songs and the beautiful city of Mumbai. Although the essence of the city has remained the same over the years, it feels so nice to revisit the Bombay of old that is captured in Hindi films where certain years and decades of this city are available, frozen in time, for us to revisit whenever we want.

1.Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan 1956

Film: CID

Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan,

Zara hatt ke, zara bach ke,

Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan…

Seeing Bombay of the 50s in black and white films lends a whole new aura and glamour of the past to those days. From Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to the tanga breezing through Marine Drive, this song shows us many glimpses of Bombay of the 50s. The lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri have captured both the angst as well as the joy of this city. His words Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan are now the tagline of so many things written about this city. Sung by Mohd Rafi and Geeta Dutt, and music composed by O P Nayyar, this song tops most lists of Bombay songs. Interesting side note that this is probably the only song that mentions the trams of Mumbai.

Kahin building kahin traame,
Kahin motor, kahin mill,
Milta hai yahan sab kuchh,
Ik milta nahin dil…

Insaan ka nahin kahin naam o nishaan
Zara hatt ke, zara bach ke
Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan….

2. Babu samjho ishaare 1958

Film: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

This song has five stars within it. The three brothers Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar, and Kishore Kumar, their vintage car Ford Model A and the city of Bombay. As the brothers ride on the streets of Mumbai ,from the start of the song, we can see the classic landmarks of Churchgate, Western Railway headquarters and Eros cinema.

Yahan chalti ko gaadi, kehta hain pyaare

Composed by S D Burman and penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, this song is magic on celluloid.

On a side note, a part of the road of Bandra Sea face is seen in this song as well as in Kiski muskarahaton pe in Anari. Both films released within a year of each other CKNG 1958 and Anari 1959.

3. Jaaneman jaaneman 1976

Film: Chhoti si baat

This song covers the office goers’ Bombay. From local bus travel to queueing for the lift at Express Towers at Nariman Point, this song is an enticing look at the city with all its opportunities. This film covers many other landmark locations in Bombay like Samovar restaurant at Jehangir Art Gallery, landmarks which have long gone now but live on in Basu Chatterjee films. It was a tough call to select just one song from this film as the other two (Yeh din kya aaye and Na jaane kyun) also cover many other delightful scenes of Bombay. Sung by Yesudas and Asha Bhosale, music by Salil Choudhary and written by Yogesh, this song captures mid 70s Mumbai in all its glory.

4. Tumhe ho na ho mujhko to 1977

Film: Gharonda

This is Bombay as it was in the late 70s. A beautiful solo by Runa Laila, music by Jaidev and penned oh so mesmerisingly by Naqsh Lyallpuri, this song starts off from the restaurant Naaz at Hanging Gardens and goes on to film nariyal paani and bhel puri at Juhu Beach and culminates fittingly at Nariman Point for this stanza.

Koi khwaab oonche makaanon se jhaanke

Koi khwab baitha rahe sarr jhukaaye

Kabhi dil ki raahon mein phaile andhera

Kabhi door tak Roshni muskuraye….

5. Seene mein jalan aankhon mein 1978

Film: Gaman

However beloved a city, it also forms the background for the stress we live with. Seene mein jalan is the view of Mumbai through a stressed Farooque Shaikh driving the classic Kaali Peeli. The words underline the anxiety and work worries that overwhelm us. As the taxi rides through the streets of Bombay, we catch glimpses of the traffic, the shops and hawkers and then the sudden aerial view of the Queen’s Necklace at Marine Drive with the Brabourne stadium in clear view. Written by Shahryar ( Akhlaq Mohammad Khan) and composed by Jaidev, this is one of the finest solos of Suresh Wadkar. The song is a series of questions and we still don’t have answers to any of them.

Kya koi nayi baat nazar aati hai hum mein

Aaina humein dekh ke hairan sa kyun hai

Seene mein jalan, Aankhon mein toofaan sa kyun hai

Is shehar mein har shaks pareshan sa kyun hai…

6. Suniye kahiye 1979

Film: Baton Baton mein

A distinctive joy of Basu Chatterjee films is that most of them showcase normal Bombay life with the normal by lanes, buses and trams. His films made Bombay the hero of the film as much as the main actors. Baton Baton Mein is shot entirely in Bombay, and primarily in its western suburb of Bandra. Watching Amol Palekar and Tina Munim traipsing through the streets of Bandra, travelling to work in the Mumbai local train and walking near Bandra sea face is a very nostalgic experience for those who remember the Bandra of the late 70s and early 80s. Even the opening credits in the film cover charming Bandra scenes from St Andrews church to Elco arcade on Hill Road.

7.Rhimjhim gire sawan 1979

Film: Manzil

A song that is one of the foremost to hum in our minds at the beginning of monsoon in India, bringing visions of a rain drenched Marine Drive and a very much in love couple enacted by Amitabh Bachchan and Moushami Chatterjee skipping along the promenade, in a suit and a saree, with the waves splashing onto them. The scenes go on to capture them splashing through the rain at at Oval Maidan with Rajabai tower as well as the High Court in the background. Written by Yogesh and composed by R D Burman, this song could well be called the monsoon anthem of rain loving Bombay.

Is baar sawan mehka hua hai

Is baar mausam behka hua hai..

Jaane pee ke chali kya pawan

Sulag sulag jaaye mann

Bheege aaj is mausam mein

Lagi kaisi yeh agan

Rhimjhim gire sawan…

Monsoon plus Mumbai is a very potent combination, and this song has bottled the romance that fills the air within its visuals. There, within our reach, whenever we want to feel it again.

The years will move on, and Bombay will continue to entice and exhilarate. Do write in the comments below to tell me about any film or song that showcased this city to your liking!

Magical songs of Shammi Kapoor with Shankar Jaikishan

2022-06-28T10:44:00.005+00:00

Some associations are blessed by God, and they create magic when they come together. Shammi Kapoor and Shankar Jaikishan were one of these combinations that were blessed by a power greater than all of us, and they went on to bless our lives with incredible music that continues to enrich our lives today. This team gave us about 60 songs out of which almost 50 were super hits. Here’s a look at their magic. As they say, let’s start at the very beginning…

1. Suraj zara aa paas aa Ujaala 1959

Ujaala was the first film where Shankar Jaikishan scored the music for Shammi Kapoor. The voices used in this film for Shammi Kapoor are Manna dey and Mukesh. Later on, of course, Mohammed Rafi became the norm for him. Their second film Singapore, in fact, had Mohammed Rafi as the playback for Shammi Kapoor and that combination went on to create history.

Here, Shailendra writes about the fire of hunger, the words are all the more profound as they are sung for hungry children.

Aaloo tamaatar ka saag,

imli ki chutnee baney,

roti karaari sikey,

ghee usspey asli lagey...

These words bring up the image of a delectable meal in our eyes and yet this image tugs at the heart strings as we think of the plight the children are facing. Only Kaviraj could have wrought this magic.

2. Ehsaan tera hogaa mujh par Junglee 1961

The first major hit of Shammi Kapoor- SJ combo which catapulted the actor into the big league. In Shammi kapoor’s words, they ‘struck gold’ with this film. LINK Hasrat Jaipuri penned this romantic solo which was used as a tandem song with Lata Mangeshkar singing the female solo in her melodious best. Rafi’s rendition of this song personifies yearning and earnestness in love.

Chaahe banaa do chaahe mitaa do

Marr bhi gaye to denge duvaayen

Udd udd ke kahegi khaak sanam

Yeh dard-e-mohabbat sehne do…

Mujhe tumse mohabbat ho gayi hai

Mujhe palko ki chaanv mein rehne do

Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par …

3. Khuli palak mein jhootha gussa Professor 1962

A delightful romantic solo in classic Shammi Kapoor mode. Shailendra here wields his romantic pen and gives us magic.

Jis din se dekhaa tumko,

tum lagey mujhe apne se,

Aur aakey rahey aankhon mein,

ek mann chaahey sapney se,

Samajh na aaye, kya jeeta main,

aur gaya kya haar,

Jeena bhi mushkil,

marnaa bhi mushkil...

Ever since I knew that this song is apparently shot in Aarey Milk Colony in Mumbai, I plan to go there again to just imagine the team shooting there with this song being played in the background. If only places could speak, they would have so much to tell us of the magic moments witnessed!

4. Meri muhobbat jawan rahegi Jaanwar 1965

If there were one solo that had to be selected as quintessential Shammi Kapoor song, it would be this. With beautiful Kashmir in the background, the scene of the hero wooing the heroine with grand declarations, and Rafi providing the vocals, this song ticks all the boxes in the most heart-warming manner. Shankar Jaikishan and Hasrat Jaipuri create cinema magic.

Na Tumsa Koyi Zamaane Bhar Mein
Ho Ho
Na Tumsa Koyi Zamaane Bhar Mein
Tumhi Ko Chaha, Meri Nazar Ne
Tumhi Ko Chaha, Meri Nazar Ne
Tumhe Chuna Hai, Tumhe Chunegi
Sada Rahi Hai, Sada Rahegi
Meri Mohabbat Jawaan Rahegi
Sada Rahi Hai, Sada Rahegi

5. Main gaaon tum so jaao Brahmachari 1968

Shammi Kapoor plays the title role of Brahamachari who has a heart of gold and looks after orphans, trying to bring cheer and laughter in their lives. He won the Filmfare award for best actor for this film. This lullaby emphasises his earnest and sincere wish to see a better world for his wards. The encouraging words by Kaviraj laden with positivity share an interesting contrast with the subdued and sober Rafi’s voice to the gentle tune of Shankar Jaikishan. It’s like Brahmachari is feeling the pathos and despair for the children while keeping up a joyful front for them. Hope treads a thin line beside sadness in this song and that, perhaps, is the beauty of it. Kaviraj, SJ and Rafi pull off this feat with such elan!

Maana aaj ki raat hai lambi,

maana din tha bhaari,

Par jag badlaa, badlegi,

ek din taqdeer hamari,

Uss din ke khwab sajaao...

Main gaaoon tum so jaao...

6. Tum mujhe yun bhula na paaoge Pagla Kahin ka 1970

Pagla Kahin ka came at the fag end of Shammi Kapoor’s career. The film dealt with loss and the trauma that the human mind suffers in order to overcome a huge setback in life. I would rate this as one of Shammi Kapoor’s and Asha Parekh’s finest performances in a convoluted plot. The film has a lot of finer moments in the scenes between Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh. Hasrat Jaipuri pens the most famous song of this film. Again a tandem where Lata Mangeshkar has also sung this song, albeit with a different anatara.

Mujhko dekhe binaa qaraar na thaa
ek aisaa bhi daur guzraa hai
Jhooth maano to pooch lo dil se
Main kahoongaa to rooth jaaoge
Haan tum mujhe yoon bhulaa naa paaoge

7. Dil use do jo jaan de de Andaz 1971

This could really be termed as the swan song of Shammi Kapoor’s career as a hero or leading man. The music was scored by Shankar Jaikishan and penned by Hasrat Jaipuri. The songs of this film gave the mega star a fitting finale, so to speak. Although there was a late release film Chhote Sarkar in 1974 with Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana in the lead roles, Andaz was by far the right closing act as a hero for the star who gave us so much through his films and music. Rafi and Asha Bhosale gave this party song a peppy feel.

Dil use do jo jaan de de

Jaan use do jo dil de de…

The song, as many Shammi Kapoor songs, is rife with philosophy. Although the lines seem carefree about falling in love, they actually hint that one should think carefully before giving away our affection.

The antaras go on to welcome new beginnings.

Ye pyaar ke nazaare hain
dekh lo jidhar,
Ab naachti hai duniyaa
khushi ka hai asar…

Lo khatam huaa hai
ye aaj ka safar,
Ab hogi suhaani
Wo kal ki Sahar…..

Shammi Kapoor moved on from this phase to do memorable character roles. However, he will always be the magical hero for us with his romantic films. His lilting songs will always bring a slight breeze to flutter the curtains in our room as we are dreamily carted off to the pristine valleys of Kashmir and his cine magic land.

Do write in the comments with your feedback and tell us your favourite Shammi Kapoor songs!

Musical journey with Boot Polish

2022-06-11T15:49:00.002+00:00

Boot Polish 1954

Music Directors: Shankar Jaikishan

The film Boot Polish is the heart-rending story of two orphan siblings Bhola (Ratan Kumar) and Belu (Naaz) who are forced to beg by their wicked aunt. A bootlegger John (David) teaches them dignity of labour and shows them how to work for a living with self-respect instead of begging. The songs of this film enhance the emotions that the viewer feels at every stage of Bhola’s and Belu’s childhood. Produced by Raj Kapoor, this film carries the shining unmistakable philosophical tone ingrained in all RK films.

1. Nanhe munhe bacchhe teri mutthi mein kya hai

A song that follows a pattern of questions and answers as John Chacha tries to know how motivated the children are and gets heartening answers from them which make him hopeful about their generation.

Written by Shailendra in 1954, this song presents hope, ethics and perseverance as the beacon showing the way ahead for India at that time. The song is full of optimism and the beauty of Kaviraj’s words is such that we hear this song at any juncture of life and wish that these ethics were upheld by one and all.

John Chacha asks:

"Bheekh mein jo moti miley, logey ya na logey,

Zindagi ke aansuon ka, bolo kya karogey ?

The children reply :

Bheekh mein jo moti miley, toh bhi hum na lengey,

Zindagi ke aansuon ki, maala pehnengey,

mushkilon se ladtey, bhidtey, jeeney mein mazaa hai...

2. Raat gayi phir din aata hai

Written by Saraswati Kumar 'Deepak' , this is an inspiring song steeped in philosophy, sung by Manna Dey and Asha Bhosale.

Kabhi andhera kabhi ujaala

Phool khila phir murjhaata hai

Khela bachpan hansi jawaani
Magar budhaapa tadpaata hai…
Sukh dukh ka pahiya chalta hai
Wohi naseeba kehlaata hai
Raat gayi phir din aata hai
Issi tarah aate jaate hi
Ye saara jeewan jaata hai…

On a side note, these lines remind me of Shailendra’s lines from Teesri Kasam :

Ladakhpan khel mein khoya

Jawani neend bhar soya

Budhapa dekh kar roya

Yahi kissa purana hai…

3. John Chacha tum kitne ache

This song is generally considered as part of ‘Raat gayee phir din aata hai’ but is actually a separate song in its own right with a different theme which flows like liquid gold out of the earlier song. The complete desolate mood of the slum children who feel better after their John Chacha croons the soothing words of ‘Raat gayee phir din aata hai’ creates a change of mood when they start singing ‘John Chacha tum kitne ache, tumhe pyaar karte sab bachhe’. In true essence of this film, this peppy song still delivers punchy hard hitting life questions:

Chacha kya hoti taqdeer,

Kyun hai ek bhikaari, chacha,

Kyon hai ek Ameer…

The unfairness of life in distributing blessings in unequal portions.

4. Badhta chal

This song flows from John Chacha tum kitne ache, effectively making a trilogy of Raat gayee, John chacha tum kitne ache and Baddhta chal. This song culminates with the lines:

‘Yeh raat gayee, who subah nayee’

These lines essentially bring the trio of songs to a full circle as they re-emphasise the opening lines of the first song of the trio ‘Raat gayee phir din aata hai’, persuading the children that there is light after darkness. Always.

5. Theher zara o jaanewaale

Penned by Shailendra and sung by Asha Bhosle and Manna Dey, the lines question the disparity between the lower and upper classes in life. Asked in simple language that would be used by children to get some answers, the innocence in the words makes it much more effective.

Panditji mantar padhate hain

Woh Gangaji nahalate hain
Hum pet ka mantar padhte hai

Joote kaa muh chamakate hai…
Pandit ko paanch chavanni hai

Apni toh ek ikanni hai
Phir bhed bhav yeh kaisa hai

Jab sab ko pyara paisa hai
Oonch neech kuchh samajh naa paye

Hum matwale palishwale

On a sidenote, this song appeared in 1951 in background chorus form in Raj Kapoor’s Awara. It was filmed on a young Shashi Kapoor. It was sung by chorus singers and later used in its full form in Boot Polish. Here’s the clip for that chorus version!

6. Tumhare hain tumse daya maangte hain

It is a rare soul whose eyes don’t turn moist on hearing this song. Children in tattered clothes, walking the streets of the city, asking for compassion and help from the ones who have it all. Shailendra ensures an ethereal haplessness in the lyrics which makes us feel raw with emotion. Mohd Rafi and Asha Bhosale give this song a vulnerable sensitivity which gives the listener goosebumps. The term goosebumps, for me, was always a textbook term till I heard this song. After hearing this song, I finally knew exactly what goosebump feelings are.

Kissi ki na ho, jaisi kismat hai apni,

Dukhi dil sabhi ka bhalaa maangtey hain...

and

Kisi shaam ko, ek pal bhar jaley jo,

Hum aasha ka aisa diya maangtey hain...

7. Chali kaunse des

Chali kaunse des is counted as one of the most sensitive songs describing the emotions of a brother and sister. Although the words show a brother singing a bidaai song of farewell at his sister’s wedding, the film uses it in a very different context. Bhola is looking for his lost sister and this song comes on screen at a time when he is feeling extreme despair and losing hope of finding her. He happens to come across a blind street singer (Kaviraj Shailendra himself in a rare appearance) who is singing this at the roadside. Shailendra excels with the lyrics, sung with ethos by Talat Mahmood and Asha Bhosale.

Cannot help mentioning the extra stanza here which unfortunately is not available in any video version of the song. This extra stanza reveals an extra layer in the song where we realise that the poet is talking about something much deeper than bidaai.

" Do din jag mein, dhoom machaaye,

Jaakey koyi, waapas na aaye,

Khoj, khoj thakk jaaye,

Do naina, chaand suraj ke......"

Keeping to my theme of seven, I have not managed to include two equally beautiful songs Taron ko dil ki baat and Lapak jhapak.

Watching Boot Polish is a life affirming cinema experience. The struggle of the children for their survival and respect from society is very moving. Hope you enjoyed the musical journey through this classic film. Do write in with your favourite song of Boot Polish with reasons in the comments below!

Seven Pearls of Wisdom with Raj Kapoor songs

2022-05-28T16:49:00.005+00:00

Raj Kapoor films have always had a strong core of philosophy. From the story to the dialogues to the lyrics, every aspect of his films tells us something about life, each film is an eye opener in some way. Here’s looking at some of his ‘pate ki baat’ from seven songs selected from his films.

1. Mud mud ke na dekh (Shree 420) 1955

Singer: Manna Dey and Asha Bhosale

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

A village simpleton in the grasp of a conniving city. To his dismay, he realises that honesty is a burden that is holding him back. The metaphor of Vidya (Nargis) and Maya (Nadira) is played with finesse as we watch Raj’s struggle to choose a path. Mud mud ke na dekh gives voice to any temptation that we have faced in life. The urge to move on and achieve success is a powerful one and the lyrics play on every emotion that answers to that pull.

Duniyaa ke saath jo badaltaa jaaye
Jo iske dhaanche me hi dhaltaa jaaye
Duniyaa usiki hai jo chaltaa jaaye

Mud mud ke na dekh, mud mud ke
Mud mud ke na dekh, mud mud ke

2. Dil ka haal sune dilwala (Shree 420) 1955

Singer: Manna Dey

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

A quintessential Raj Kapoor song where he plays the common man, has a dafli in his hands and is singing life truths penned by his Kaviraj Shailendra. These are cinema magic moments, and they live on.

Sun lo magar yeh kisise na kehna,

Tinke ka leke sahara na behna

Bin mausam malhar na gaana

Aadhi raat ko matt chillana

Warna pakad lega policewala…..

3. Kisi ki muskaharoton pe (Anari) 1959

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

If we are asked to think of a song that teaches us the best way to live life in a positive way, this song will probably be the first to come to mind for many of us. The straightforward and clear tone of the lyrics drives the point home clearly. This is the only song selected in this list which is not from a film made by Raj Kapoor but no list of philosophy of life by Raj Kapoor could be complete without this song. Mukesh lends a sincerity to this SJ tune and Raj Kapoor brings it alive on screen as only he can. A magical combination and a joy for us to hear and see for all time.

Mitte jo pyaar ke liye woh zindagi,
Jale bahaar ke liye woh zindagi
Kisi ko ho na ho hamein to aitbaar
Jeena isi ka naam hai…

4. Pyaar kar le nahin toh phaansi chadh jaayega (Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai) 1960

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

Very hard hitting lyrics as Raju tells dacoit Raka (Pran) to choose nonviolence and peace, by surrendering to police and choosing to give up a violent way of life.

jeet har saikdo teer se talwar se
jeet har saikdo teer se talwar se
mere sath muskura dil ko jeet pyar se
mere sath muskura dil ko jeet pyar se
vichar kar le, vichar kar le nahi to piche pachtayega….

5. Sajan re jhooth matt bolo 1966

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

Every song of this film is deeply embedded with life lessons. It was difficult to select just one song from this film. Be it Duniya banana waale or be it Sajanwa bairi ho gaye hamaar, all songs from this film are a textbook lesson on life.

Ladakpan khel mein khoya,
Jawaani neend bhar soyaa,
Budhaapa dekh kar royaa
Wahi kissaa puraanaa hai…..
Sajan re jhooth mat bolo

6. Pate ki baat kahega (Diwana) 1967

Singer: Mukesh

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

Pate ki baat are the pearls of wisdom about the philosophy of life that the Diwana states to people in this song. Another gem from the team of Raj Kapoor, Shankar Jaikishan, Shailendra and Mukesh. A very uplifting song that makes one realise the true value of things around us.

Char ke aath tu kar le,

Aath se saath tu kar le

Rahega phir bhi ye khali,

Pet ko lakh tu bhar le

Seekh le mann ko manana,

Sabar se kaam chalana,

Meri surat pe na jaana,

Meri surat pe na jaana

Pate ki baat kahega,

Kahega jab bhi deewana….

Pate ki baat

7. Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo (Mera Naam Joker) 1970

Singer: Manna Dey

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Neeraj

This song is an eye opener for people who make the mistake of looking at life with rose tinted glasses and then wish they hadn’t done that. Raju, the joker, in Mera Naam Joker has seen life in its true colours, and he tells us that traversing the paths of life can be tricky at the best of times, and treacherous at the most. And yet, he tells us that such is life and we should live it with the courage needed to make a go of it.

A song deeply laden with philosophy, it tells us something new every time we hear it.

Girne se darta hai kyon,

Marne se darta hai kyon,

Thokar tu jab tak na khayega.

Paas kisi gham ko na jab tak bulayega,

Zindagi hai cheez kya nahin jaan paayegaa,

Rotaa huaa aaya hai, rotaa chalaa jaaegaa .

Ae bhai zara dekh ke chalo

…

SEVEN RESONANT MELODIES OF RAJESH ROSHAN

2022-05-18T18:18:00.004+00:00

When we talk of music directors who have their own distinctive style, the name of Rajesh Roshan springs instantly to mind. Rajesh Roshan has made an indelible mark in hindi film music with his compositons, giving us over 50 years of melodious music. Let’s take a look at some of his beautiful numbers. An attempt has been made to include some not so often mentioned songs which are gems from his repertoire.

1. Aa ri aa ja nindiya tu le chal kahin (Kunwara Baap) 1974

This song never fails to tug at the heartstrings. The situation in the film is heart-breaking enough and Rajesh Roshan’s music and Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics give the emotional goose bump inducing emphasis to it. Actor-filmmaker Mehmood had given an eighteen-year-old Rajesh Roshan his first break as a composer with this film.

2. Yeh raatein nayi purani (Julie ) 1975

Although best known for Preeti Sagar’s lilting My heart is beating and Kishore Kumar’s soulful Dil kya kare, this dulcet solo of Lata Mangeshkar written by Anand Bakshi sounds fresh and fragrant whenever we hear this album. Julie was Rajesh Roshan’s second film for which he won his first Filmfare Award.

3. Johnny ko maine toh jaana hai aaj (Ginny aur Johnny ) 1976

A lilting song from this ace composer for Mehmood again. A sweet song that touches a chord every time we hear it. Sung by Kishore Kumar and a very young Vijeyta Pandit, this song is a gem that has gone unnoticed by many Rajesh Roshan fans.

4. Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya (Swami ) 1977

Swami was the first Basu Chatterjee film for which Rajesh Roshan held the baton of music director. This went on to be a long and beautiful association, creating mellifluous music for all of us to treasure in six more films that came later which were Priyatama, Khatta Meetha, Dillagi, Baton Baton Mein, Man Pasand and Humari Bahu Alka.

Swami has very soulful songs, from Yesudas’ Ka karun sajni to Kishore Kumar’s Yaadon mein woh. However, I chose this Lata solo because of the complete blend of her voice into the feeling of falling in love, drenched with the monsoon as a backdrop. Amit Khanna’s lyrics spark the magic further. The taar shehnai and the santoor seal the deal.Sheer magic.

5. Tumse mila tha pyaar (Khatta Meetha) 1978

Woh khwahishein ajeeb thi

Sapne ajeeb the…

A beautiful duet sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar, penned by Gulzar. One more from the Basu Chatterjee- Rajesh Roshan team. This was filmed on Rakesh Roshan and Bindiya Goswami, one of many songs that Rajesh Roshan has composed for his brother to enact on screen. A delightful film which is remembered as much for the dialogues, acting and direction, as it is for the music. A song filled with nostalgia which makes us take a look at what we were years back and what we dreamt of.

6. Main kaun sa geet sunaaoon (Dillagi) 978

One more gem from the Basu Chatterjee- Rajesh Roshan duo, penned by Yogesh. Lata Mangeshkar makes magic in this melodious solo, the calmness is further heightened by the use of the flute. This song has been filmed on the steps of a ghat (I am unsure of the exact location, but I believe this was near Mysore) and one can feel the cooling down of the day in the late evening with a refreshing breeze from the water in the tune of the song. The unlikely romance between Dharmendra as SwarnKamal - a newly appointed Sanskrit professor in a Girls college- and Hema Malini as Renu -a strict Chemistry lecturer further enhances the charm of this Rajesh Roshan masterpiece.

7. Main akela apni dhun mein magan (Man Pasand) 1980

I feel that the music of Man Pasand never got its rightful due because people were quick to shrug it off as the remake of My Fair Lady. What needed to be noticed was that Rajesh Roshan and Amit Khanna worked under a stringent framework of the original and yet they managed to give Man Pasand a unique Indianness in the composition as well as the lyrics. Main akela apni dhun mein magan is meant to replace ‘I’ve grown accustomed to her face’ of the original. It goes beyond that by being a song that is immortal in its magic now. Listen to this song and you will realise the magic that Amit Khanna’s words have created:

Mere sapno ka sach ho jana, sach ho jana
Meri manpasand ban jana,

Inse mujhe kya hai haasil phir bhi
Ye hai meri aadat mein shamil ….

And the magic of Rajesh Roshan with Kishore Kumar serenading you as the words and tune gently define how musicologist Pratap (Dev Anand) has begun to fall in love with the flower girl Kamli (Tina Munim). This is one of the most exquisite solos of Kishore Kumar for Rajesh Roshan.

These were just seven of my selected gems from Rajesh Roshan. Would love to hear from you in the comments below about your favourite Rajesh Roshan songs!

Seven hairstyles rocked by Hindi film actresses

2022-05-15T14:49:00.002+00:00

From the early years, the hairstyles we see on the screen on our Hindi film actresses are mostly what women in real life would be comfortable with in their daily lives. And yet, there have been actresses who have stepped out of their comfort zone in order to make a mark.

1. The soft short waves of Madhubala, Nargis, Geeta Bali

The reigning queens on the screen of that time had these short haircuts with soft, wavy hair, ideally suited for those moonlit songs with the hair backlit in those scenes. Nargis’ Koi mere dil mein (Andaz), Madhubala’s Aaiye meherbaan (Howrah bridge) and Geeta Balis’s Chandni raatein pyaar ki baatein (Jaal) come to mind.

The beauty of these hairstyles was enhanced a hundred-fold by the fact that the films were in black and white.

2. The Sadhana Cut

Although the Sadhana Cut owed its origin to the Audrey Hepburn haircut, Sadhana made this hairstyle famous in India as she made a glorious debut as Sonia in Love in Simla. Sadhana was the fashion icon of the screen in those days with her churidars and her Audrey fringe. The film shows the progression of this haircut with a studied assurance, where her grandmother (played with aplomb by Durga Khote) decides to cut her granddaughter’s fringe while urging her to embrace her beauty and not hide it from the world. Love in Simla is a delightful film because of these slice of life moments.

3. The Bedazzling Bouffant

This was one hairstyle that rocked the screen in the 60s and it was one that was admittedly very difficult to recreate for the young ladies in that decade. Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz and Asha Parekh were the trail blazers for the bouffant, with hair piled on the head and (I imagine) held there with generous whiffs of hair spray. This helped them add a delicate rose, a pretty buckle or a beautiful bow. It must have been a bit of a nightmare with the amount of backcombing it would have needed but then , beauty always comes with a price and our Bollywood damsels stepped up to the challenge in full glory.

4. The Beauteous Beehive

For the uninitiated, the beehive may seem similar to the bouffant and it very nearly is. The big difference is that it leaves no scope for long hair to touch your shoulders as all is piled on top with the fervent hope that it stays there. This hairstyle owed its origin to Audrey Hepburn as well when she made it famous with Breakfast at Tiffanys but our stars gave it a glamour all its own. From Sharmila Tagore to Helen to Rakhee Gulzar, we saw the beehive buzz on the screen all through the 70s.

5. Two khubsoorat plaits of Rekha

Rekha reigned on the silver screen and her two plaits of Sun sun sun didi tere liye in Khubsoorat suddenly made an ordinary home hairstyle feel acceptable in public.

Sharmila Tagore further enhanced it in Mausam with Chhadi re chhadi kaisi gale mein padi. This hairstyle made a short comeback with Bhagyashree sporting two plaits in Maine Pyar Kiya. Although, by then, the days were probably gone when one could actually venture out with hair tightly tied in two plaits.

6. The straight silky locks of Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman

This was a wave of its own with all waves banished from the hair. Backcombing was booted out of the studio doors as the straight hair look with side bangs seeped into the screen.

Zeenat Aman in Chura liya (Yaadon Ki baarat) and Parveen Babi in Main to beghar hoon (Suhaag) made curls and waves a thing of the past. This trend carried on right upto Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure who kept the natural straight hair with side bangs look blazing.

7. The layers of Madhuri Dixit

The straight-haired look was beginning to rankle to many women who did not have ramrod straight locks. The straightener wasn’t so common then and it had reached a stage where there were women who believed that they were not beautiful if they didn’t have straight hair. In breezed Madhuri Dixit hair with steps or layers blow-dried to within an inch of their lives. These brought back the soft waves of the 50s. In a way, we were coming full circle. Black and white photos softly backlit make Madhubala and Madhuri Dixit seem to be from a similar decade, although they were not.

The decades of trending haircuts really ended here unless we count the perm of Pooja Bhatt in Dil Hai ke manta Nahin and Preity Zinta in Dil Chahta Hai. We have now come to an interesting phase where every actress has her own style and the character they play dictates their hair. Maybe this is a better time for all of us as each woman is now free to find her own comfort zone for her tresses, and thus reduce the stresses!

Do write in with your favourite Bollywood hairstyles in the comments!

Seven Songs of Sapne

2022-05-05T18:03:00.005+00:00

‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ This was said by Eleanor Roosevelt and our HFM has happily given life to this quote with its myriad songs on Sapne/ dreams. Be the dreams in any form, they fill our lives and provide some balance in good days and bad.

1. Mere sapne mein aana re

Film: Rajhat 1956

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Music Director: Shankar Jaikishan

Lyrics: Shailendra

Madhubala lights up the screen with the honeysweet rendition by Lata Mangeshkar. As she asks her beloved to appear in her dream, she imagines everything she probably wouldn’t dare to suggest when she actually met him. The shy hesitant personality which takes on a different bravado for her dreams sets an interesting contrast in this song.

Mere sapne mein aana re, sajnaa,

Mere sapne mein aana re,

Woh baat zaraa mere kaanon mein,

phir se keh jaana re...

2. Sapne mein sajan se do baatein

Film: Gateway of India 1957

Singer: Lata Mangeshkar

Lyrics: Rajinder Kishan

Music: Madan Mohan

Somehow one of the first songs to come to mind for Sapne is this song. That is surprising as I have never seen this song on video as it isn’t available. However, that has never stopped me from visualising Madhubala in this sweet melody composed by Madan Mohan. Lata Mangeshkar has sung this song with such emotions that our mind can bridge the gap for the visual and its almost as if we have seen the video with Madhubala’s dulcet smile. This is true for most old hindi film songs that have missing videos, our mind’s eye directs the visuals.

Ik raat milan ki aayee thi,
aur uske baad judaayi thi,
gham aur khushi ki do raaten
ik yaad rahi ik bhool gaye…
Sapne mein sajan se do baaten…

3. Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hai 1965

Film: Guide

Singer: Mohammed Rafi

Music director: S D Burman

Lyrics: Shailendra

A shattered Rosy slowly comes to life as Raju hands her the hope of shared dreams and a life together in this song. Each line is steeped in sincerity as the trio of Kaviraj Shailendra, S D Burman and Mohammed Rafi serve us magic on a platter. The pathos of the saxophone set against the early light of Udaipur with Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman is the ultimate magic that cinema has ever offered.

Lakh manaa le duniya,
Saath na yeh chhootega,
Aake mere haathon mein
Haath na yeh chhootega…
O mere jeevan saathi
Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain..

4. Sapnon ka Saudagar 1968

Film: Sapnon ka Saudagar

Singer: Mukesh

Lyrics: Shailendra

Music: Shankar Jaikishan

Life throws many curve balls and it can sometimes be difficult to keep our spirits up. At times like these, what helps is hope. No matter how difficult the circumstances, keeping hope and optimism alive helps one chart the troubled waters. With the words ‘Tumse kismet khel chuki, Tum kismet se khelo’, Shailendra has nailed the power of hope in his inimitable manner.

Ik chhaliya aas ke peechhe,
Daude to yahaan tak aaye,
Har shaam ko dhalta suraj
Jaate jaate keh jaaye…

Woh tay kar legaa manzil

Jo ik sapna apnaaye…’

5. Sapna mera toot gaya 1973

Film: Khel Khel Mein

Singer: Asha Bhosale and R D Burman

Music: R D Burman

Lyrics: Gulshan Bawra

When one has shared one’s dreams with someone and that person is gone, those dreams feel hollow, shattered. This song is filmed on Aruna Irani where she reminisces about Rakesh Roshan. However, this song, for me, will always be about Asha Bhosale and Pancham. That tug at the heartstrings will always be there when I hear this song as I think of both of them. The song switches between memories in the antaras and back to reality with the mukhda. The slight pause before the mukhda as one is jerked back to the present works to emphasise the despair of broken dreams. The utter emptiness that takes their place.

6. Ek din sapne mein dekha sapna

Film: Golmaal 1979

Singer: Kishore Kumar and Sapan Chakraborty

Music: R D Burman

Lyrics: Gulzar

A dream within a dream! As only Gulzar can visualise! This is a song on farfetched dreams. Something that has practically zero chance of materialsing and yet gives immense joy to the mind. My sapne mein sapna was always a wish to meet Dev Anand. Never happened but then that’s why it qualified to be my sapne mein sapna! Life gets colours of joy with such dreams. The song has Ramprasad (Amol Palekar in one of his finest roles) imagining himself in Amitabh Bachchan’s shoes and signing autographs while Big B looks on in dismay. Rekha begging him to stay back and Lata’s singing being accompanied on the tabla are further sapnas, each of which bring a smile to our lips.

The sweetest line of this song is

‘Ik din sapne mein dekhi sapni,

Woh jo hai na Lata apni..’

7. Dekho maine dekha hai yeh ek sapna

Film: Love Story 1981

Singers: Amit Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar

Music: R D Burman

Lyrics: Anand Bakshi

When dreams are ambitions as well as visions of life with one’s beloved, then this song fits the bill! The debut film of Kumar Gaurav who went on to be the heart throb of young girls at that time. This film also established Amit Kumar as the singing voice of Kumar Gaurav, a lot like Shailendra Singh’s voice getting associated with Rishi Kapoor at the beginning of his career. The song hints at the lead character Bunty’s inclination towards taking up the field of architecture, something that he had disagreed with his father for in the beginning of the film as he wanted to be a pilot. The lyrics follow each part of the house design blending in nicely with aspirations for different facets of his life.

I was limited by the number seven and could not list more of my favourite songs on sapne. Do write in with your favourite sapne songs in the comments!