My Ten Favourite Telephone Songs From Hindi Films
The research for the fruit expose has been needing me to call lots of people on phone. This lead me to the idea of making a telephone song list. Okay, I didn’t come up with it in the last few days, but have been collecting them over the last few months. And the fact that, that I love Jalte hai jiske liye just drove me to make this list. Not all of the songs are sung completely on the telephone. Some just start with it and end up with the characters cavorting around the trees, but telephone songs they are.
So, give me a ring!
1 Jalte Hain Jiske Liye – Sujata (1959)
MD: S. D. Burman; Singer: Talat Mahmood; Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Sunil Dutt crooning in Talat’s voice to the untouchable Nutan. Has there been a more romantic scene in Hindi film history? Please don’t start with your list; it was just a rhetoric question. Every time I hear this song, I just melt away. The music, the melody and the VOICE! The quintessential telephone song!
*sigh*
2 Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon – Patanga (1949)
MD: C Ramchandra; Singers: Samshad Begum & Chitalkar; Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
This song has so many layers to it. I think one can write thesis on migration and homesickness in context of this song. Gope singing to his stage-wife Nigar Sultana about his missing her is in fact not so much of missing his wife, but of homely surroundings and food. As an Indian living abroad, I can empathise! khaa lete hai.n jo mil jaaye ruukhii suukhii baasii! A totally hilarious one!
3. Hello Hello Ji, Kaho Kya Hai Ji – Bombay Ka Chor (1962)
MD: Ravi; Singers: Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle; Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
The same light banter and humour though with other purpose is carried over in the next song. Kishore Kumar ordering a correspondence course on love from Mala Sinha can only be funny. In the due course they also try out as a vocational guidance centre. And after signing a peace truce they end up wishing each other good night.
4. Neend Ud Jaye Teri Chain Se Sone Wale – Juari (1968)
MD: Kalyanji-Anandji; Singers: Suman Kalyanpur, Mubarak Begum, Krishna Bose; Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
No good nights are exchanged in this song, but rather bad ones. What is a gambler (Juari) to expect? Losing money at the casino is bad enough and then to have three women wishing you sleepless nights is a nightmare!
5. Jidhar Dekhoon Teri Tasveer – Mahaan (1983)
MD: R. D. Burman; Singer: Amitabh Bachchan; Lyrics: Anjaan
Much more civilized and with lots more affection is this song, although Amitabh gets to romance three heroines too in this film. Thank God he also has three roles for that, thus no cursing around like in Juari. From the looks of it, it seems that Amitabh and Waheeda have been separated for a long time and telephone calls are their only contact. What better way to keep a relationship young? If they had been together, most probably they would have used the phone to say “Aate waqt sabjhi lana mat bhulna” or “Aaj office me dheri hogi” (“Don’t forget bring vegetables while returning from work” or “I will be late today”).
6. Main Yahaan Tu Wahaan – Baghban (2003)
MD: Uttam Singh; Singers: Amitabh Bachchan & Alka Yagnik; Lyrics: Sameer
Amitabh gets to croon to his screen-wife, here played by Hema, again. This time they are not separated by a super villain but by their own progeny. Quite unconvincing though, to see Amitabh, the super-hero on the Hindi films being get bogged by chilar sons.But he bounces back! So all is well!
7. Mere Dil Ki Dhadkan Kyaa Bole – Anhonee (1952)
MD: Anil Biswas; Singer: Talat Mahmood & Lata Mangeshkar; Lyrics: Shailendra
If someone rings me up in the middle of the night and lets a clock ring, I don’t think I would be so friendly disposed towards him/her. But Nargis, generous as ever, not only forgives Raj Kapoor that, but also his Chaplinesque mode. Well, it can only be love! Maybe it is Talat’s voice, who sings for Raj, does the trick!
8. Chand Zard Zard Hai Mere Dil Mein – Jaali Note (1960)
MD: O. P. Nayyar; Singer: Mohd. Rafi& Asha Bhosle; Lyrics: Anjaan
Asha gets to croon in this one as well, with Mohammad Rafi giving her company. My faithful and ‘walking-talking’ encyclopedia of Hindi film songs, Prakashchandra brought this song to my notice. By the way, can anyone please tell me what zard is? I am sure that it has nothing to do with zarda!
9. Kahan Gaya Mera Sanam – Ek Nanhi Munni Ladki Thi (1970)
MD: Ganesh; Singer: Asha Bhosle
Wonder why I had never heard of this song before! Thanks to Mr. Naidu for this one. Asha gets to hog the scene in this song. She pulls out all the stops, giving the song its sex-kitten flair. I don’t know why this went into oblivion.
10. Pyar Ki Yeh Batein Humko Na Samjao – Baazi (1968)
MD: Kalyanji-Anandji; Singer: Asha Bhosle; Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni
The same wig and the same voice, but not the same effect. I adore Waheeda Rehman, but she just can’t carry that wig!
After making this list as I was searching for the links for the lyrics, I came upon Atul’s list of telephone songs, which has nearly three-fourth of the songs mentioned here. Do visit it, he for sure has better descriptions of the songs!
The playlist to the songs mentioned in the post and comments can found here.
Harveypam's Blog 
Anu Warrier
September 26, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Lovely, lovely songs! Jalte hain jiske liye is a personal favourite too. Zard is ‘pale’. My contribution to your list (and I’m soooo making my own, so there! 🙂 ):
1) From Waqt
That’s the only one I can remember at present. 😦
harveypam
September 27, 2011 at 12:00 am
Isn’t jalte hai jiske liye just ethereal! It wills ure be on my desert islandlist!
Wow, Anu, this Waqt song is something! Thanks for introducing me to this song. Didn’t know this one! And such a romantic one too!!! Bahut khub!
Do you mean to say you are making your own list of telephone songs? Looking forward to it!
Another Asha phone song. She must be holding a record of sorts for singing the most phone songs!
(Maine Ek Khawb Sa Dekha Hai – Waqt [1965] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ-9Jw4C8Jk)
Anu Warrier
September 27, 2011 at 1:09 am
No, I wasn’t. I just added my bit to *your* list because you told us not to. LOL
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 11:20 am
Please do add more telephone songs to my list and make your own lsit as well. your descriptions are always so witty!
What I said was just in context of ‘jalte hai jiske liye’! 🙂
Curious, what you come up with next!
dustedoff
September 27, 2011 at 8:00 am
By the way, zard can also mean ‘yellow’, which is why sang-zard, the word used for the golden-beige stone you see in some medieval monuments in parts of North India…
And, Anu: the one from Waqt also was one of the first that came to my mind, though Jalte hain jiske liye has always been, for me, the #1 telephone song!
I am looking forward to your post, too, now! 🙂
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 11:22 am
thanks for that piece of information with sang-zard. Didn’t know that. So sang means stone, does it? And sang-e-marmar means marble stone then?
I am feeling very foolish now, that I missed on the Waqt song. One sees: Ignorance is not bliss! 🙂
dustedoff
September 27, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Yup, sang means stone, and so sang-e-marmar. That’s why red sandstone was called sang surkh and black marble was sang siyah (a stone carver was called a sang tarash).
sunheriyaadein
September 26, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Great list!!! Jalte hain jiske liye is an all-time favourite! Few other telephone songs that I can think of at the moment are –
1. Hello, hello from Pyaar Mohabbat :
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uEiq0MZm8A)
2. Aaj kal shouk-e-deedar hai from Leader :
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eBbQDQMkrg)
3. Hello from Kshatriya :
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqnQcJN9ZDQ)
4. Mujhe raat din from Sangharsh (This one’s a little too much. Aman Verma rushes to a telephone booth to continue his song when his phone gets disconnected)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Asq-hbdvQ)
Coming to think of it, I think it was Chithhi (letters) that got more preference over telephones in hindi songs 🙂
harveypam
September 27, 2011 at 12:24 am
You are right, the letters did get more preference than phone calls, but then letter writing has a much longer tradition than phone calls. Remember the letter writing scene from V. Shantaram’s Shakuntala film Stree
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGl1WgKiX0E)
Thanks for the hint! Maybe I should make a letter list! Excep tfor the above one, the only one that I can remember right now is phool tumhe bheja hai khat me from Saraswatichandra
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_Ye0CLftM)
harveypam
September 27, 2011 at 12:15 am
I don’t think there is anybody, who likes Hindi film songs and doesn’t like ‘Jalte hais jiske liye’! It is a masterpiece and am sure it will entertain and give joy for generations to come! O God, now that makes me sound real OLD!
Except for Sun sun re balam, all others are new for me. I know so little of the songs post 90s! but am shocked that I didn’t know the Naushad song from Leader! It migh tnot be Naushad’s best composition but it is nice.
The one from Kshatriya is bit doof isn’t it?. I mean why does she still listen to him on the phone? Kun ke Hindi film hai, isliye!
The last one from Sangharsh is cute though! I didn’t know Aman Varma or for that matter the film Sangharsh. But the song is good. I think I’ll listen to it tomorrow as well. BTW, what happened to Aman Varma? He is not to be seen nowadays, isn’t it?
Banno
September 27, 2011 at 6:49 am
Harvey, this is a really good list. I agree with you, ‘Jalte hain jiske liye’ is a masterpiece, lyrics, music, and the filming. Really romantic.
There’s something about phones that has inspired really romantic numbers, and I often find the filming very entertaining too.
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 11:25 am
Exchanging sweet nothings over phone calls, preferably landline is romantic. It is just not the same thing with mobiles though. I wonder if there are any romantic mobile songs.
dustedoff
September 27, 2011 at 8:06 am
How come you pick such difficult themes, Harvey? But you always do more than justice to them! Great list, this one, even though I hadn’t known about some of those songs – the Kishore Kumar-Mala Sinha one, and the Mumtaz (what an oomph! song), especially. I was also going to suggest the Leader song and the one from Waqt, but I can see Archana and Anu have already put in those links…
By the way, on the letter songs theme, two suggestions:
Likhe jo khat tujhe (Kanyadaan):
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dwzth2CJOQ)
and Yeh mera prem patra padhkar (Sangam):
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNuu9ykkpGQ)
dustedoff
September 27, 2011 at 8:29 am
Okay, I’m going to have to put in an alert here: *dustedoff is on a hog-space spree*!!
Two more ‘letter songs’ I was reminded of, right after I’d clicked ‘Post Comment’:
Khat like de saanwariya ke naam babu (Aaye din bahaar ke):
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1yOkc5yryk)
And (though I hate the song), Chitthi aayi hai aayi hai (Naam):
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qBYoP-DySY)
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 11:34 am
And go on hog all the place you get here, DO!
You are more than welcome to do it!
I love khath likh de saanwarya ke naam babu too. Asha’s voice gives the song so many different shades of naughtiness, longing, sadness and at the same time also frivolity! Asha was a great singer, wasn’t she?
I loved chithi aayi hai when it was released and then they started playing at every opportune and inopportune moments and it lost it’s charm for me too! And htough I am an Indian living far awy from India, it doesn’t really raise any great home-sickness on my part. The song from Patanga does it in a more clever manner than this one!
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 11:29 am
thank you DO (borrowing this abbreviation from pacifist) for the compliments!
How could I forget Yeh mera prem-patra pad kar! Just jalte hai jiske liye is the quintessential phone song for me, this is the quintessential letter song.
The Bombay ka Chor is funny too isn’t it? I love their playful banter there!
dustedoff
September 27, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Yes, Yeh mera prem patra padhkar is the quintessential letter song for me too! (And that’s saying a lot, considering I don’t like Rajinder Kumar).
I think my hatred of Chitthi aayi hai stems basically from the fact that it seemed to be playing just everywhere during those few years. It was ubiquitous, and it got very annoying. As it is, I don’t really like Pankaj Udhas much. 😦
I loved the Bombay ka Chor banter too. Cute!
Anu Warrier
September 27, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Count me in on the ‘don’t like Pankaj Udhas much’ brigade. And I *loved* Chitthi aayi hai when I first heard it in Naam. And then, like you (and harvey) said, they kept on and on and on with it until I could have screamed. And no, it doesn’t make me feel very homesick. My quintessential homesick song which always brings a lump to my throat is Ae mere pyaare watan – it makes me want to pack up and land in India *right then*!
But let me add my chorus to DO’s – you do pick the most difficult themes to make your lists. Hats off to you! (I *loved* the flower list – and I learnt so much that I hadn’t known before. So, ‘thank you’.)
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 3:47 pm
*HUGS*
You are… sweet!
I won’t say I don’t like Pankaj Udhas or for that matter Pankaj Khush! I think I am very much indifferent to him. I don’t think there is any song which makes me to pack my bags and land in India. But I love ‘Aee mere pyaare watan’! And it makes me want to land in Afghanistan, but knowing the political situation there, I have stopped lsitening to ‘Ae mere pyaare watan’. 😉
And Manny Dey is superb in that song! Going off to listen to ‘Ae mere pyaare watan’
(Kabuliwala: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_NfdFfdKn4)
dustedoff
September 28, 2011 at 7:56 am
I haven’t lived abroad (except for a month spent in Chicago, and various weeks scattered across various places on holiday) so I’ve never really had a chance to feel homesick. But yes, if that happened to me, the ONE song that would bring tears to my eyes (even the very thought of it does, though I’m sitting here in the heart of my own homeland!!), it would be Ae mere pyaare watan. It is so absolutely heart-breakingly, yearning-for-home wonderful.
My favourite patriotic song, and my favourite Manna Dey song. Thanks for mentioning it, Anu, and thanks for posting it, Harvey.
harveypam
October 12, 2011 at 11:56 am
You won’t believe it, but since the time I posted this song here, I’ve been coming back here quite often to listen to it. I don’t even go to youtube for it, but to this comment!
Sort of a mitthi, mitthi si chuban it gives me1
Arunkumar Deshmukh
October 10, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Harvey ji,
This wonderful song is picturised on a very special person !
The actor lip synching this song is Wazir Mohammed Khan (W.M.Khan),who has the honour of singing India’s FIRST MOVIE SONG ‘De De khuda ke naam pe’,in India’s FIRST Talkie film AALAM AARA in 1931.
I was a casual visitor to this blog,but looking at it,I feel it is a wonderful place for a person like me to spend quality time reading and listening to music and music related things.
I record my appreciation of your blog.
Thanks.
-AD
harveypam
October 12, 2011 at 11:50 am
Thank you Arun for this bit of information dear Arun! I didn’t know that! I hope one day we’ll be able to see Alam Ara. As of now it seems there ar eno copies left of the film. Somebody was mentioning that maybe in Pakistan somewhere they might have one.
And thanks for visiting this blog. I am a bit irregular in my postings, but my next post will come soon.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 3:50 pm
I liked Rajendra Kumar in Sangam and pre-Sangam films. At that time he wasn’t the Jubilee Kumar as yet. His perfromances were subdued and had a sort of dignity.
Have you by any chance seen Bombay ka Chor?
dustedoff
September 28, 2011 at 7:58 am
Somehow, I’ve actually liked Rajendra Kumar in only one film – Mere Mehboob. Otherwise, there are lots of films where I don’t actually dislike him, but would’ve preferred another lead actor.
No, I haven’t seen Bombay ka Chor. Have you? Anything like Dilli ka Thug? (and did Kishore act in any other of these ‘disreputable-guy-from-Indian-metropolis’ films?!)
harveypam
September 28, 2011 at 8:38 am
I liked him in Dil ek Mandir and Sangam. And in Sangam, the presence of the oh so effervescent Raj kapoor made me like Rajendra much more. I haven’t seen Mere Mehboob. But in the song clips, he looks so reserved and elegant! I am sure he is very likeable there.
No, I haven’t seen Bombay ka Chor either! Didn’t he play ‘disreputable-guy-from-Indian-metropolis’ (good word-creation) in the film with Sadhana? Bhai-Behen is the name I think!
Prakashchandra
September 27, 2011 at 3:27 pm
one song is there in
Raveena tondon and Deepak tijoiri`s PEHLA NASHA (1993)movie ka
“Main hoon haseena, tu hai deewaana,…o jaane jaanaa”
(music by Tushar Bhatia and directed by ASHUTHOSH GOWARIKAR I think it is his first directorial venture)(sung by asha bhosle,vinod rathod:lyrics-anand bakshi)
Is movie mein ye dono phone mein ye gaana gaathe hain.
catch you later, I wrote this, in a hurry
regards
prakash
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 4:27 pm
will look that up soon!
harvey
September 27, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Deepak Tijori looks kinds cute here!
Wonder why he didn’t quite make it.
Somehow it doesn’t have the intimacy, one would expect from a telephone song, does it?
Thanks for it, didn’t know this song!
Richard S.
September 28, 2011 at 11:53 am
Harvey, that’s good phone list, as I would expect… You covered most of the songs that would have occurred to me.
But do you remember the Shantaram film Teen Batti Char Raasta? There is a song at the end, “Teen Deep Aur Char,” which shows the cast singing over six giant telephones with receivers that I would guess to be three or four feet long while Sandhya operates a big plug-in switchboard. Now, that, I think, would have to be the ultimate phone song! Unfortunately, while there used to be a copy on YouTube, none can be found now, and I never really got the right programs or knowledge to load songs on YouTube myself (yet). But what I think I might do in the near future is post several screen caps from that song on my blog and dedicate the post to your phone list.
Meanwhile, I’m wondering if we can count this as a telephone song:
And re. letter writing songs, there was one that popped into my mind right away and there may be more, but I’ll get back to you about that.
harvey
September 28, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Yeah, i remember that song very well. That would have been something!
I find the strong symbolism of such songs from Shantaram or Mehboob’s movies very entertaining/amusing/good/funny. I think we need such things again!
“I never really got the right programs or knowledge to load songs on YouTube myself”
Thank God for that! I thought I was the only one who couldn’t do that. And I didn’t even dare say it aloud.Thanks for letting me come out on that! 😉 Really!
your idea of posting screen caps to that song (maybe even with subtitles!) sounds very good! Do that! I will just post a link to that!
What a coincidence! I just posted ‘Piya tu ab to aaja’ on anu warrier’s post on night songs and although I saw the prelude, I never thought that it could count as a telephone song!
I just love the song!
But poor Helen looks like a chick pea put on a candy tin foil!
Thus I prefer to listen to that rather than watch it!
Richard S.
September 28, 2011 at 12:06 pm
P.S. Correction: I’ve loaded many songs onto YouTube that were sent to me as songs, but as far as I know, I’ve never gotten the stuff to separate songs from a movie DVD myself to load them onto YouTube – or else, I would put that song from Teen Batti Char Raasta right up there, because it is perfect!
harvey
September 28, 2011 at 8:44 pm
That is completely okay,Richard! I think we just need to join some courses where they teach to rip-off songs from DVDs and VCDs! 😉
Karthik
September 29, 2011 at 9:36 pm
For me, Neend ud jaaye teri is the queen of all phone songs. This particular song was broadcast in Chitrahaar several years ago, when I was a kid and ever since has left an indelible impression on me.
This song has great music, but something else-a lot of closeups of three beautiful actresses, but not just that. I would strongly suggest that you mute the song and focus upon the eyes of the three of them. Naaz has mischief, Tanuja almost like a stone, and Nanda-man, you must watch her eyes! This is exactly the way I enjoy this art. Kudos to the director for this!
One of the reasons why I love Black and White movies is that there are no distractions of colour, and most often that not, you will notice a lot of close-ups and in an era when acting talent was essential., you would find power packed performances.
Now, coming to the letters.
How about this? A composition by one of my favourite music directors, whom I hold in very high esteem for the great work done by him
(chitiya ni dard firaaq – Henna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSa-wMyaRiU&feature=related)
harvey
October 12, 2011 at 11:37 am
Yeah, Neend ud jaye teri is indeed a wonderful song. And what I liked about it was the use of two little known singers. Nanda, though not very versatile in her acting, did have very expressive eyes and I think she was very good in all the roles that she did. IMO Tanuja was very under-utilised in Hindi films. She had great talent and according to her elder sister, she was not disciplined enough.
What you say about b/w films is very true. A good observation. That is why I like them a lot as well.
I had nearly forgotten ‘Chittiye Ni Dard Firaaq’. Like all RK films Henna also had a good score. Ravindra Jain nearly always gave good music. I like his compositions from films like Ankhiyon ke jharokon se, Dulhan wahi jo piya man bhaye, Chor machaye shor and Fakira.
Prakashchandra
September 30, 2011 at 11:58 am
one song from BEGANA(1986)(Dharmendra,Deeptinaval starrer directed by ambrish sanghal)
picturised on kumar gaurav and rati agnihotri(sung by asha bhosle and kishore kumar)
“Dear madam aapko main bahut chaahtaa hoon, zindagi bhar rahoonga yours faithfully ahaaa..aaahaaaa”
(Music by anu mallik)picturised in between elaborate sets of telephones.
harvey
October 12, 2011 at 11:42 am
I searched for teh song you mentioned on youtube, but couldn’t find it. I think this was the film in which Dharmendra just had a guest appearance and since his name was much more saleable at that time than Kumar Gaurav’s, Dharmendra’s face was plastered all over the posters. He didn’t take that very kindly.
harveypam
January 25, 2013 at 4:41 pm
Now I could find it, dear Prakashji! It is hummable song. Though the telephone part is blink-and-you-miss short song.
Prakashchandra
September 30, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Hey sorry,
I read just now , you have mentioned my name under the song “Chaand zard zard hai”.
Mera aankh bhar aayaa padke,(sorry for filmy langauge)
Main utna knowledgeable nahin hoon,
PHIR BHI, aapne mera naam itna apnaapan aur pyaar se likha hai, padke dil bhar aaya,
Thank you tho nahin kehta hoon, bahut choti baat hogi aapke liye.
Aapne jo vishwas, apne writing ke dwaara dikhaya…..I will never forget your encouraging words (full of warmth)for me.
About the word “zard” I don`t know exactly, but on the basis of knowledge gathered by listening hindi movie songs, zard ka arth “NASHEELA” ho saktha hai, I am not 100% sure about the meaning, it may be wrong or misleading.
regards and lot`s of love
prakash
Arunkumar Deshmukh
October 11, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Prakash ji,
The meaning of ZARD is yellow.Though the word sounds like Gard,it has nothing to do with Nasha.
-AD
harveypam
October 12, 2011 at 11:51 am
O that means I will have to delete intoxication from the list of meanings for zard!
harvey
October 12, 2011 at 10:13 am
Hey, I am just giving credit where it is due!
Thanks for that other way of interpreting zard. Till now I have: soft, yellow and now, intoxicating!
pacifist
October 13, 2011 at 10:52 pm
I’ve always known zard’s meaning to be yellow.
In fact the yellow of the egg is called ‘anday ki zardi’.
There’s a sweet dish called ‘Zarda Rice’ Here’s the recipe.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooHFHjHosVU)
harvey
October 14, 2011 at 12:25 am
That is what Dustedoff told me, that zard means yellow. I didn’t know that egg-yolk is called anday ki zardi. Nice recipe that, though I am not much of a fan of sweet rice.
BTW was this a hint to make a list of songs wiht mithai or other khana in it? 😉
pacifist
October 14, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Hahahaha! That would be the toughest as there aren’t even that many common sweets. I mean more than 10?
harvey
October 14, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I was thinking of a mix of sweets and other eatables. I even once discussed it with DO. We were sure that there were some but we didn’t come further than moong phali and chana and some samosas. and yeah the famous batata-wada song.
but i am sure there won’t be really favourite songs among them.
Shilpi Bose
October 12, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Visiting your blog after a long time,enjoyed your compilation and the discussion that followed.
harvey
October 12, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Dear Shilpi!
Glad to see you here! Not only because you are visiting my blog, but to see you up and about! I am happy, that you are feeling better! Just saw yesterday your father in Bandini and had to inadverntly think of you! Hugs!
Shilpi Bose
October 31, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Thanks Harvey.
Lalitha
October 31, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Wonderful list of telephone songs! Jalte hain jiske liye is of course my top favorite – what more could one have than Talat Mehmood crooning this song in his inimitable style to Nutan, one of my favorite heroines, and Sunil Dutt looking so dreamy – I sound like a schoolgirl now! Anyway, it is definitely my favorite of these songs.
I thought ‘zard’ meant nasha because I have heard of zarda paan, and the guys in my college said it gave them a kick, so this is what I imagined it meant! I am learning something new every day.
harveypam
October 31, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Jalte hai jiske liye is just like abhi naa jaao chhodkar is everybody’s darling song! I love it! It makes me feel all mushy! The world would be really poor without these two songs!
Do you know even I thought of zard as something intoxicating. But I do wonder what zarda paan means. So far as I know zarda paan is not yellow. But I am no paan connoisseur!
You are right one does learn lots of things here!
Arunkumar Deshmukh
November 5, 2011 at 4:44 pm
harveypam ji,
ZARDA is a name given to Scented Chewing Tobacco,for the white collared people to eat and enjoy the kick it gives.
There are various varieties of Zardas.There are also sophisticated Branded Zarda varieties,like Baba Zarda.These are graded like 120,160,300 based on the concentration and flavours.These are quite costly too !
Zarda Paan is Calcutta or Banarasi Paan which is having Zarda added to it.
And yes,Man is a learner till his last day !
-Arunkumar Deshmukh
harveypam
November 5, 2011 at 11:32 pm
So zarda is a scented chewing tobacco, is it? That is why it is so harmful! and also because of the additives, isn’t it?
When you say they are graded based on the concentration, which concentration do you mean? Nicotine?
Thanks for the info, Arun!
Arunkumar Deshmukh
November 6, 2011 at 9:32 am
harveypam ji,
while ‘cureing’ the tobacco(cureing is a process of purifying the tobacco leaves,making them wet with water and other chemicals),the tobacco is graded and separated based on its Nicotine content.
It is then classified groupwise for ‘Cigarettes’ or ‘Beedies’ or ‘Branded Zardas’ or simply for ‘Raw eating'(Like Satari Tambakhu,which the Coolies or the rikshwawallahs mix with Choona(calcium carbonate) before eating.).
Tobacco,in any form, is injurious to health.
-Arunkumar Deshmukh
harveypam
November 6, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Of course, tobaccco in any form is bad for the health. Thanks for the interesting information! If I am not trying your patience, can I ask you a realted question?
What is ghutka? Is it also related to tobacco?
Arunkumar Deshmukh
November 7, 2011 at 9:13 am
harveypam ji,
In simple language GUTKA means ‘ a gulp ‘.
It comes in 2 varieties,namely 1) SAADA gutka – It is a small amount of betelnut(usually the third grade variety) in small pieces,Kaththa-a powder which brings red colour to the Paan,when wet,a chemical sweetner powder,some scented mouth freshners of the rotten variety.All this is mixed and presented in a pouch in a quantity sufficient for one Gulp for chewing.
The second variety is 2) Zarda Gutka- It is a combination of all the above PLUS a small amount of third grade quality Zarda.
Both types are habit forming.It is assumed that they contain some kind of addictives too.That is why people eating Gutkas eat atleast 10 to 15 sachets in a day easily.
The components are carcinogenic and every year,70% of oral cancer cases are of the Gutka eaters only,besides Tobacco eaters.
GUTKAs are big business today.Sold in colourful pouches accross the counter in Paan shops,many states have banned Gutkas.The Tobacco and Gutka lobby is very strong and a major election funder to politcal parties,hence……!
-Arunkumar Deshmukh
harveypam
November 7, 2011 at 9:53 am
That was more than a ghutka of Information!
The trend of ghutka started in the 90s, didn’t it?
It was awful, to see more and more people chewing it and spitting around and the ads! Are the ads still allowed on TV? If I am not mistaken, they also showed children eating ghutka!
Thank you arunji, for the info! Now I am updated!
Richard S.
December 6, 2011 at 6:50 am
Hey, guess what, somebody finally loaded that song onto YouTube – I mean the biggest-phone song!
(TEEN BATTI CHAR RASTA 1953 – teen deep aur chaar dishaayen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fE3dUW9sf8)
harvey
December 6, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Thanks dear Richard! That’s a cool one! Six beautiful women (I recognised only four: Sandhya, Sheila Ramani, Shashikala and Nirupa Roy) in all there traditional jewellry and fine silk sarees bound in traditional ways. And then the giant telephone, the modern gadget which helps them communicate with each other.
It doesn’t get more Shantaramesque than this!
Don’t forget the three giant sea shells in the middle, whose symbolism is unfortunately lost on me. Do you think it has anything to do with pearls? Something like minor irritations give rise to pearls?
pacifist
January 25, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Finally I’m able to make a contribution to this thread, harvey 🙂
A song from Ek Do Teen 1953 with Motilal and Meena Shorey
harveypam
January 25, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Dear paicifst, what a wonderfully sweet song!
So melodious and soothing!
You havemade my day!
You sure have a way with unearthing bhoole bisre geet!