Category Archives: My Lists

“Filmy” Songs

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Its almost the end of the month and my blog will complete 2 years on 31st March. It has been a pleasant experience. Writing about movies in the form of reviews, song lists and articles is extremely satisfying. There is so much to watch and write about when your passion is movies and music!

Today’s post is centered around this passion of mine. It is a songs post and all these are “filmy” songs. We have many films depicting the film industry. Right from Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guddi to Rangeela and Luck By Chance in recent times. And we have songs which pay a tribute to the film industry through its lyrics, cast or picturization. The combination makes the song totally filmy (or filmi), and entertaining. So hope you enjoy this post and do leave your comments.

1) Song: Ek Padosan Peeche Pad Gayi
Film: Gopi (1970)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | Kalyanji Anandji | Mahendra Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus

Let’s start with a dance number featuring the real life couple Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. Both were highly successful in their careers. They did very few films together, including Gopi which became a hit. Coming to the filmi part of this song – the cleverly written lyrics weave the names of many movies and characters featuring the lead pair, making it an interesting song. It was probably the first song of its kind and showcases the star power and long lasting impact of films.

Ek padosan peeche pad gayi,
Junglee jiska naam,
Pyaar mohabbat kyaa samjhaaye,
Isko Ram aur Shyam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

Jaa main na teri Madhumati,
Na Dhanno mera naam,
Dil bhi dena dard bhi lenaa,
Ye nahin mera kaam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

2) Song: Naach Meri Jaan
Film: Main Sundar Hoon (1970)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Shankar Jaikishan | Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle

There are films where the hero or heroine are associated with the film industry. Main Sundar Hoon told the story of a waiter Sundar (played by Mehmood) who becomes a film star. There are many “behind the scenes” which show how movies are made.

This song is a shooting sequence. The first shots show the song recording and we see some well known names including Kishore Kumar, Jaikishan and Anand Bakshi in front of the camera! Then Mehmood and Jayshree T participate in the song’s shooting. The lyrics are nonsensical but the tune is catchy with awesome singing.

3) Song: Loote Koi Mann Ka Nagar
Film: Abhimaan (1973)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | S. D. Burman | Manhar and Lata Mangeshkar

Many of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films have a character who is connected to music in some way. Remember Anuradha, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Satyakam, Buddha Mil Gaya and so on?

Abhimaan was the story of two singers. After marriage, Uma (Jaya Bhaduri) is convinced by her husband Subir (Amitabh Bachchan) to become a playback singer. He is already a well established singer. This is the first song they record together. The song show typical views of a recording studio with musicians, sound recordists etc. We also get a glimpse of Nitin Mukesh in a special appearance.

4) Song: Ek Din Sapne Mein Dekha Sapna
Film: Golmaal (1979)
Credits: Gulzar | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar

This is another Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie. The hero Amol Palekar is enjoying a picnic with his friends when he sings this song. He dreams of Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Lata Mangeshkar. It’s a fun song with Amitabh and Rekha appearing in unexpected cameos.

5) Song:  Mere Jeevan Saathi
Film: Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant Pyarelal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Anuradha Paudwal

This is a kind of gimmick song which works because it’s made to be a part of the story. The hero Vasu (Kamal Hassan) has limited knowledge of Hindi. To impress the heroine Sapna (Rati Agnihotri), he sings this song made up of Hindi film names. The entire song is shot in a lift.

Mere jeevan saathi, Pyaar Kiye Jaa,
Jawani Diwani, Khubsoorat Ziddi Padosan,
Satyam Shivam Sundaram

6) Song: John Jaani Janardhan
Film: Naseeb (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant-Pyarelal | Mohammed Rafi

In 2007 came Om Shanti Om in which the song Deewangi Deewangi had a long parade of film stars appearing as guests in the hero Om (Shah Rukh Khan)’s party. But this idea of inviting film stars was first used by Manmohan Desai in Naseeb.

Amitabh Bachchan plays a waiter with a weird name of John Jaani Janardhan. The song portrays the golden jubilee success party of the film Dharam Veer (also made by Manmohan Desai). Stars arrive in full force to join the celebration. Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Randhir Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore,  Bindu…the list goes on. A true filmy song and a film fan’s delight!

7) Song: Na Maange Sona Chaandi
Film: Mr. India (1987)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Shabbir Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and chorus

There was a time when films used to have parody songs. Writing a parody song is not easy. It has to suit the theme of the song, then suitable songs have to be selected and their lyrics altered. The lyrics need to be funny and a perfect fit for the situation. This song is one such fine example. Penned by Javed Akhtar, the parodied songs are all inspired from Laxmikant Pyarelal’s compositions, from films like Dosti, Raja Aur Rank, Milan, Shor, Bobby, Sargam etc. It turned out to be a truly filmy and memorable song!

8) Song: Antakshari
Film: Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
Credits: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shailendra Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and chorus

If we are talking about film songs, we cannot forget “Antakshari” – the well known game of film songs. Highly enjoyable and a perfect way to pass the time, it continues to be popular. Maine Pyar Kiya used this game with a mash-up of Hindi film songs as a way to bring the hero and heroine together. The hero Prem (Salman Khan) is adamant that the heroine Suman (Bhagyashree) apologize to him and say “I Love You” thrice. This happens during the course of the game when she finally relents and says the three words.

9) Song: Dhoom Tana…Kaise Nainon Se Nain
Film: Om Shanti Om (2007)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Vishal-Shekhar | Abhijeet, Shreya Ghoshal and chorus

I was impressed by the usage of computer generated effects in this song and making it more impactful. The character of Shanti (Deepika Padukone) is a film actress. It is expected she works with multiple actors. The song portrays her pairing with 3 actors from the 60s and 70s. Through special effects, we see her dancing with Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. The original shots are taken from Amrapali, Sachaa Jhutha & Jai Vijay, with Deepika added as their costar in each song portion. The outcome is impressive. The song has a retro feel and was well received.

10) Song: Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte
Film: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
Credits: Jaideep Sahni | Salim-Sulaiman | Sonu Nigam

And the last song is a unique song which is a tribute to legendary heroes Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Rishi Kapoor, pairing them with actresses Nargis, Sadhana, Helen, Sharmila Tagore and Neetu Singh. The starting lyrics are actually a reference to the (then) ruling Khans – Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh.

Shah Rukh Khan performs this delightful number with 5 actresses of the current generation – Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji. The lyrics have references of the respective hero’s films and songs. The lyrics seem a bit stretched but the result on screen is just magical and filled with nostalgia.

“Holi” 90s songs

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Its time for Holi and today’s post is a celebration of film songs based on this colorful festival. It is probably the most favorite festival depicted in Hindi cinema. There have been some all time hit songs all the way from Holi Aayi Re Kanhai, Jaa Re Hat Natkhat, Aaj Na Chhodenge Bas Humjoli, Holi Ke Din and Rang Barse. It is a long list and the songs have continued to remain popular.

Today’s post is about post 90s Holi songs. There are some traditional and others with a modern touch in line with the times. Needless to say, the festival and theme continues to stay relevant in Hindi cinema. So enjoy, and which songs do you remember?

1) Song: Ang Se Ang Lagaana
Film: Darr (1993)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Shiv-Hari | Sudesh Bhosle, Vinod Rathod, Devaki Pandit, Alka Yagnik and chorus

Darr is the story of love and obsession. Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla are celebrating Holi with her bhaiya Anupam Kher and bhabhi Tanvi Azmi. Everything is all right until Shah Rukh Khan enters disguised as a Dhol player. An entertaining song as you wait to see what happens next. Shiv Hari had given us the evergreen Rang Barse from Silsila, which was also a Yash Chopra production.

2) Song: Rang Di Rang Di
Film: Dhanwaan (1993)
Credits: Sameer | Anand-Milind | Nitin Mukesh, Suresh Wadkar, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Chorus

This is a melodious composition in Raag Shivaranjani. The song starts on a sombre note but becomes lively when Karisma Kapoor remembers the Holi celebrations in a flashback. Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala are her co-actors, celebrating in full swing.

3) Song: Jhankaaro Jhankaaro
Film: Krantiveer (1994)
Credits: Sameer | Anand-Milind| Udit Narayan, Sapna Awasthi and chorus

Krantiveer was a hard hitting film but also featured some melodious and catchy numbers. Nana Patekar forces Dimple Kapadia to tell her story. She reacts in shock and mentions one word “Holi” as she remembers this song in a flashback. In happier times, she is celebrating Holi with her lover (played by Girish Malik) but their life is going to change soon.

4) Song: More Kanha Jo Aaye Palat Ke
Film: Sardari Begum (1996)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Vanraj Bhatia | Asha Bhosle

And now a different flavour. This is not a typical song with Holi visuals. The protagonist Kirron Kher (and Smriti Mishra who played the young Sardari) enact the song as part of a song recording scene and a stage performance. It is a thumri style song based on raag Pilu. It describes the Holi sequence involving Lord Krishna or Kanha. The lyrics, music, and rendition are all impactful.

5) Song: Soni Soni Ankhiyon Wali
Film: Mohabbatein (2000)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Jatin-Lalit | Udit Narayan, Jaspinder Narula, Manohar Shetty, Udbhav, Ishaan, Shweta Pandit, Sonali Bhatawdekar, Pritha Mazumdar

This is a multi starrer of a song in all respects. Shah Rukh Khan enjoys the festivities with his students (Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergill and Jugal Hansraj), and their love interests (Shamita Shetty, Preeti Jhangiani and Kim Sharma). Not to forget Anupam Kher and Archana Puran Singh carrying forward their track from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). Aishwarya Rai makes an appearance as well. The song is a combination of festive celebration, teasing with a touch of romance.

6) Song: Hori Khele Raghuveera
Film: Baghban (2003)
Credits: Sameer | Aadesh Shrivastava | Amitabh Bachchan, Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik

This song immediately reminds you of Rang Barse. The tune is inspired from the folk music of Uttar Pradesh and sung by Amitabh Bachchan himself. While he plays an aged character, he enjoys to the fullest with his wife (played by Hema Malini) and joined by family and friends.

7) Song: Holi Re
Film: Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | A. R. Rahman | Aamir Khan, Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Srinivas and Chinmayee Sripada

This song has the stamp of A. R. Rahman and you are reminded of Lagaan’s music. A good song but somehow not remembered easily today. The song showcases a boisterous celebration of Holi with Aamir Khan and Rani Mukherji participating.

8) Song: Do Me A Favour Lets Play Holi
Film: Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005)
Credits: Sameer | Anu Malik | Anu Malik and Sunidhi Chauhan

A desi song with a western twist, courtesy Anu Malik. He also lends vocals to this different number. Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra perform the song which is a mix of traditional and western elements, right from the lyrics, choreography to the costumes. Its different, but catchy.

9) Song: Itna Mazaa…Balam Pichkari
Film: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
Credits: Amitabh Bhattacharya | Pritam | Vishal Dadlani & Shalmali Kholgade

This is arguably the most famous Holi song post 1990s. The infectious tune makes you want to groove. And it is a treat to watch. Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur add their glamour to to the setting.

10) Song: Gori Tu Latth Maar
Film: Toilet – Ek Prem Katha (2017)
Credits: Siddharth-Garima | Manas-Shikhar | Sonu Nigam & Palak Muchhal

And the final and a unique song in this list. It showcases the tradition of Latth Maar Holi from the Barsana and Nandgaon towns in Mathura. Here the women hit the men with sticks who try to shield themselves. In the movie, the heroine Bhoomi Pednekar is adamant to have a toilet installed in her husband’s house. He disagrees and she leaves him. He comes to meet her during Holi. This is an opportunity for him to seek forgiveness. Will she relent?

“Hoping to fall in love” male songs

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Today’s post is about our filmy heroes who are hoping to fall in love. They are lonely. They wander around dreaming of the heroine who will enter and become the love of their life. More often than not, the heroine arrives leading to the beginning of the romantic track. Hope you enjoy and recall similar songs!

1) Song: Jawaniyaan Ye Mast Mast
Film: Tumsa Nahi Dekha (1957)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | O.P. Nayyar | Mohammed Rafi

This is an introduction song of the hero Shammi Kapoor. He has grown up, and is looking for someone to enter his life. This was the film that turned Shammi Kapoor’s career and made him a star after a string of flops. This was also Nasir Hussain’s first film as a director. He went to make many films on the same formula.

Jawaaniyaan ye mast mast bin piye,
Jalaati chal rahi hai raah me diye,
Na jaane iname kisake waaste hun mai,
Na jaane iname kaun hai mere liye,
Mere liye mere liye

Sabhi haseen sabhi jawaan,
Kahaan pe dil ko haariye,
Sabhi hai dil ke mehmaan,
Kise kise pukaariye,
Jawaaniyaan ye mast mast bin piye

2) Song: Lakhon Hai Nigaah Mein
Film: Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | O.P. Nayyar | Mohammed Rafi

This song is almost a carbon copy of the earlier song. And coming from the same director. Another tale of lost and found. The hero has grown up into a handsome young man. He introduces himself through this song describing there are many girls around him but he is waiting for that special one who stands apart.

Laakho hai nigaah mein, zindagi ki raah mein,
Sanam haseen jawaan,
Hoton pe gulaab hai, aankhon me sharaab hai,
Lekin woh baat kahan

3) Song: Mast Nazar Dekh Idhar
Film: Ek Dil Sau Afsane (1963)
Credits: Shailendra | Shankar Jaikishan | Mukesh

This is a party song. Raj Kapoor plays the eligible bachelor. He is on the lookout for a suitable life partner. There are many girls in the party, all vying for his attention. He imagines one of them may be the suitor he is looking for.

Mast nazar dekh idhar ham hain wahi dilwaale,
Ishq mein jo dete hain jaan hum hain wahi matwaale

4) Song: Kisi Na Kisi Se Kabhi Na Kabhi
Film: Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)
Credits: S. H. Bihari | O. P. Nayyar | Mohammed Rafi

Shammi Kapoor seems to be a specialist for these type of songs. This time, he is off to Kashmir where he hopes to meet someone and fall in love.

Kisi na kisi se kabhi na kabhi,
Kahin na kahin dil lagaanaa padegaa

5) Song: Ye Dil Na Hota Bechara
Film: Jewel Thief (1967)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | S. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar

Dev Anand voices out his intentions and hopes that someone beautiful may be his companion. He is actually following Tanuja and irritating her with his actions.

Suna jabse zamaane hain bahar ke,
Hum bhi aaye hain raahi banke pyar ke,
Koyi na koyi bulayega,
Khade hain hum bhi raaho mein

Yeh dil na hota bechara,
Kadam na hote aawara,
Jo khubsurat koi,
Apna humsafar hota

6) Song: Jaane Mera Dil Kise
Film: Laat Saab (1967)
Credits: Hasrat Jaipuri | Shankar Jaikishan | Mohammed Rafi

Another introductory song of Shammi Kapoor, this time he is singing while riding a horse. Set in the surroundings of Kashmir, he wonders if he will find love in these lush green valleys.

Jaane meraa dil kise dhoondh rahaa hai in hari-bhari waadiyon mein,
Kabhi na kabhi to takraayegaa dil dil se inhin aabaadiyon mein

7) Song: Josh E Jawani
Film: Around The World (1967)
Credits: Shailendra | Shankar Jaikishan | Mukesh

Raj Kapoor is working on a ship. He sings this song as he completes his cleaning duties. He talks about the vigour of youth and his loneliness, hoping that someone will oblige him soon.

Josh-e-jawaani haaye re haaye,
Nikle jidhar se dhoom machaaye,
Duniya ka mela, Main hoon akela,
Kitna akela hoon main

8) Song: Lakhon Hai Yahan Dilwale
Film: Kismat (1968)
Credits: S. H. Bihari | O. P. Nayyar | Mahendra Kapoor

Biswajeet acted in some hit films in the 1960s. Most of them had lovely songs which contributed to the film’s success. Kismat had some great songs. In this song, he addresses the heroine (Babita) sitting as a hotel guest and hinting his intention. Will she acknowledge?

Laakho hai yaha dilwaale, aur pyaar nahi milta,
Aankho me kisi ki wafa kaa iqaraar nahi milta

9) Song: Mere Sapnon Ki Rani
Film: Aradhana (1969)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | S. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar

The film that established Rajesh Khanna features this timeless song. He plays the dashing airforce officer waiting for the queen of his dreams to arrive. Sharmila Tagore is peeping through the train window as he passes by in his jeep merrily singing Chali aa tu chali aa.

Phul Si Khil Ke, Paas Aa Dil Ke,
Dur Si Mil Ke, Chain Naa Aaye,
Aur Kab Tak Mujhe Tadapaayegi Tu,
Mere Sapno Ki Raani Kab Aayegi Tu

10) Song: Kahi Karti Hogi
Film: Phir Kab Milogi (1974)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | R. D. Burman | Mukesh

In a forgettable movie, Biswajeet is on a hard earned holiday where he hopes to meet “her”.  His wishes are answered and he sees Mala Sinha immediately after this song. Later, they sing the same song as a duet.

Kahin karti hogi, woh mera, intezar
Jiski tamanna mein, phirta hoon bekaraar