Arunji, whose anecdotes and memories of the good old times we adore and whose filmi knowledge, we admire, springs in the arena once again to fill up the empty time space here. Thank you Arunji! Without much ado, I pass the mike to him.
Arunkumar Deshmukh’s ten favourite inspired song-pairs
EK DIL DO JAANE- EK TUNE DO GAANE
The other day I was reading a book in my Drawing Room,when I heard my college going grandson telling a small boy,” you don’t know,but in our times,things were not like this…”
I smiled. Every generation thinks that their times were better that the present one.
I wondered whether if I tell today’s children that in my college days,Petrol was costing only 5 Rupees a Gallon (around 3.7 Litres) or that a car driver could be hired on a salary of Rs.150 pm, will they believe it ? We never believed when our elders told us that Gold was bought by them at 10 Rs. a Tola (about 11.4 Gms.),because at the time of my marriage Gold was costing 150 rupees per Tola(about 11.4 gms).Today when Gold has crossed the barrier of rs.30000 for just 10 gms,these stories look like Arabian Night stories,indeed !!
Sometimes I keep thinking if old times were better or the present times are better.I have not been able to come to any conclusion so far.
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Tags: Aa jao tumhe dil ka, Aakhri Dao [1958], Aankhon se jo utari hai dil mein, Anand Bakshi, Anil Biswas, Anjum Pilibhiti, Anmol Ghadi [1946], Arun Deshmukh, Arun Deshmukh’s ten favourite inspired song-pairs, Arzoo [1965], Asha Bhosle, Aye phoolon ki raanee, B R Sharma, Chunariya [1948], De di hamen Azaadi, Dharamputra [1961], Didi [1948], Dil e naashaad ko jeene ki hasrat, Dil jalta hai to jalne de, Dr.Safdar 'Aah', Ek phool do Maali [1969], Guest Post, Hamee se muhabbat hamee se Ladai, Hansraj Behl, Hasrat Jaipuri, Heer [1956], Hemant Kumar, Jaadoo [1951], Jagriti [1954], Jeevan Mrityu [1970], Kavi Pradeep, Kiska deep Jalta hai, Kya mil gaya Bhagwan, Lata Mangeshkar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Leader (1964), Madan Mohan, Main jab bhi akeli hoti hoon, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mamta [1966], Manna Dey, Mitti Me Sona [1960], Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh, Mukund Masurekar, N.Datta, Naadan muhabbat walon ke, Naujawan [1951], Naushad, Naya Daur [1957], Noorjehan. Dil leke daga denge, O. P. Nayyar, Pehli nazar [1945], Phir milogi kabhi, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon [1963], Poocho na hamein, Prem Dhawan, Rahen na rahen hum, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Ravi, Roshan, S. D. Burman, S. H. Bihari, Sahir Ludhianvi, Saraswati Kumar Deepak, Shakeel Badayuni, Shanker Das Gupta, Shanker-Jaikishen, Thandi hawayen, Vo chaand muskuraya, Yeh parda hataa do, Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi [1966], Zamane mein aji kai aise naadan
My ten favourite insomnia songs
Spending the night in bed tossing around has happened to each and everybody of us. One would like to sleep, but the stream of thoughts just don’t end. The body is tired, but the mind wide awake. You tell yourself, that you have so many things to do the next day and the most appropriate thing to do now would be to sleep. You get irritated over it, which make matters only worse. And then in the wee hours of the morning, when you are supposed to be soon getting up, you fall asleep in sweet, sweet slumber! A dear friend of mine, Raja, was in this situation a few days back. This unfortunate incident made me come up with this list.
But the songs below don’t sing about the situation described above, but are rather moans of separated lovers or are freshly-fallen-in-love pairs. For this list, I have chosen songs with neend(iyaa) na aaye in the mukhdaa (refrain). I hope you like them as much as I do.
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Tags: Aji Bas Shukriya [1958], Amar Prem [1974], Amirbai Karnataki, Amrita Singh, Anand Bakshi, Anil Biswas, Anita Guha, bairan neend na aaye mohe, bairan nindiya kyun nahin aayi, beimaan tore nainawaa neendiya na aaye, Chachaa Zindabad [1959], D. N. Madhok, Dhun [1953], Dilip Kumar, Faroque Kaiser, geeta bali, Hansraj Bahl, Hemant Kumar, insomnia, jaane kyaa baat hai, Kaifi Irani, Kalyanji-Anandji, Lata Mangeshkar, Madan Mohan, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Miss Mary [1957], Munimji [1955], my ten favourite insomnia songs, Nalini Jaywant, Nargis, neend na aaye, neendiya na aaye, o neend na mujhko aaye, Post Box 999 [1958], Pujaari [1946], R. D. Burman, raina beeti jaaye, Rajesh Khanna, Rajinder Krishan, Roshan, S. D. Burman, saajan bin neend na aave, saari saari raat teri yaad sataye, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakila, Sharmila Tagore, so gaya saara zamana, Sunil Dutt, Sunny Deol, Sunny [1984], Tarana [1951], tum bin piya nindiya na aaye, Wali Sahab
My ten favourite songs on clouds and separation
Mid-June, the rains used to arrive in Bombay when I was a kid. The black clouds would hold the promise of change. This would mean relief from the heat and dust of the preceding summer months and a burst of new life. The dreary plain near our house would promise to turn into a pond with lots of small streams arising and emptying in it. These small streams would then become alive with small and big crabs and tadpoles! Coinciding with the arrival of the black clouds, the new school year would also arrive. This would mean new textbooks! The dark messenger would also bring the hope, that I would share the class room with my friends from last year, but at the same time also the anxiety if I would again have to spend this new school year with class bully.
These dark water-bearers of sky, who brought so many emotions in my being were and are also the bearers of hope over the centuries in India for separated lovers. The earliest mention is found in Meghduta (the cloud messenger) by Kalidasa (most probably 4th century CE). It tells the story, how a yakṣha (a supernatural being), after being exiled, asks a passing cloud to take a message to his wife. In Hindi cinema though, we find mostly women singing to the clouds. They call upon them to be their messengers, to take a message to their far-off beloveds, asking them to return back.
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Tags: Ameeta, Anil Biswas, Asha Bhosle, Azaad [1955], Bahana [1960], Bharat Vyas, C Ramchandra, Chashm-e-Baddoor [1981], Chhote Nawab [1961], clouds, D. N. Madhok, Dar Laage Garaje Badariyaa, Deepti Naval, Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke [1969], Dilip Kumar, Gaban [1966], Ghar Aaja Ghir Aaye Badaraa Sanvariyaa, Gulzar, Haimanti Shukla, Indu Jain, Ja Re Kare Badra, Jaa Re Badara Bairi Jaa Re, Jaa Ri Jaa Ri O Kaari Badariya, Jab Kaari Badariyaa Chhaayegi, Jeetendra, Kahan Se Aaye Badaraa, Kalidasa, Karan Deewan, Lajawab [1950], Lata Mangeshkar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Madan Mohan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Meena Kapoor, Meena Kumari, Meghduta, Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, monsoon, My ten favourite songs on clouds and separation, Namkeen [1982], Nanda, Naushad, Of Clouds and Separation, Phir Se Aiyo Badaraa Bidesi, Prem Dhawan, R. D. Burman, rain, Rajinder Krishan, Rajkamal, Ram Rajya [1967], Rattan [1944], Sadhana, Sawan Ke Badalon Unse Yeh Jaa Kaho, Shabana Azmi, Shailendra, Shankar-Jaikishan, Sheila Vaz, Sunil Dutt, Swarnlata, the cloud messenger, Tum Bin Sajan Barase Nayan, Vasant Desai, yakṣha, Yesudas, Zohra Bai
My ten favourite Nutan romantic-duets
Comes 4th of June and it is Nutan’s birth anniversary again and also that of bollwood deewana and Richard’S sister. It is turning fast into a tradition to celebrate Nutan’s birthday on this blog. This is her third birthday here. Last year I listed my favourite solo songs of hers. This year it is the turn of duets.
As usual I have taken only one duet per film. What really surprised me was that in her three most famous films, Seema [1955], Sujata [1959] and Bandini [1963], she doesn’t have any duets with her love interest! They are also missing in her Nagina [1951] and Hum Log [1951].
Well, here are my favourite Nutan duets. Enjoy them!
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Tags: . Dekho Rootha Naa Karo, 4th of June, Aasmanwale Teri Duniya Se Jee, Ae Chaand Zaraa Chhup Jaa, Ae Kaash Chalte Milke, Anil Biswas, Asha Bhosle, Basant [1960], Bharat Bhushan, Chhod Do Aanchal, Chori Chori Ek Ishara, chupke se mile pyaase, dev anand, Dil Hi To Hai [1963], Dilli Ka Thug [1958], Geeta Dutt, Ghulam Mohammad, Hasrat Jaipuri, Heer [1956], Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Laatsaab (1967), Laila Majnu [1953], Lata Mangeshkar, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Man Ki Been Matwari Baaje, Manna Dey, Manzil [1960], Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh, my ten favourite Nutan romantic-duets, Naushad, Nutan's birth anniversary, Nutan’s birthday, O Saajana Chhuta Hai Jo Daaman Tera, O. P. Nayyar, Paying Guest [1957], Pradeep Kumar, Qamar Jalalabadi, Raj Kapoor, Ravi, Roshan, S. D. Burman, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shabab [1954], Shailendra, Shakeel Badayuni, Shammi Kapoor, Shankar-Jaikishan, Talat Mehmood, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne [1963], Tumhari Mast Nazar Gar Idhar Nahin Hoti, Yeh Raatein Yeh Mausam
For Christmas, I was thinking of doing a Christmas song list. But I could come up only with aao tumhe chand pe le jaaye from Zakhmee [1975]. But then I thought Mother Mary and Joseph must have also sung some lullabies to baby Jesus, so why not a list of my ten favourite loris (lullabies).
Lullabies have not always been my favourite songs. Once when a 6 year old child at a friends place asked me to sing an Indian lullaby to him, I realized that I knew only few authentic lullabies in my mother tongue and soon I ended up singing filmi loris! The child must have been pretty deaf or a great fan of off-tune singing. More evenings followed and made me realize how sweet basically loris are.
Some rules, which I followed for my list:
a) The person singing must be singing it to a child and not to a grown-up person
b) Only one song pro film
Well here they are! Try not to fall asleep while reading it! Yawn! 😉
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Tags: Aa Ri Aajaa Nindiya Tu Le Chal Kahin, Aaja Ri Aa Nindiya Tu Aa, Anand Bakshi, Anil Biswas, Ankhiyon Me Chote Chote, Asha Bhosle, Bharat Vyas, Chanda O Chanda, Chanda Re Chanda Re, Do Aankhen Barah Haath [1957], Do Bhigha Zameen [1953], Door Ke O Chanda, dustedoff, Ek Dil Sau Afsane 1963], Geeta Dutt, Humshakal [1974], Kishore Kumar, Kunwara Baap [1974], Lajwanti [1958], Lakhon Me Ek [1971], Madhulike Liddle, Main Gaoon Tu Chhup Ho Jaa, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Meena Kapoor, Meena Kumari, Mehmood, Merry Christmas, Nanhi Kali Sone Chali, Nargis, Nauker [1979], Nirupa Roy, Oleg Strizhenov, Pardesi[ 1957], Prem Dhawan, R. D. Burman, Radha Saluja, Rajesh Khanna, Rajesh Roshan, Rasta Dekhe Tera Vyakul Man Mera, S. D. Burman, Salil Choudhary, Sandhya, Sanjeev Kumar, Shailendra, Shankar-Jaikishan, So Jaa Re Lalna Jhulao Tohe Palna, Sujata (1959), Sulochana Latkar, V. Shantaram, Vasant Desai, Waheeda Rehman
My ten favourite songs on not wanting to let go.
As I was humming abhi na jao chhodkar few days back, I realised that, not wanting to let the lover go is an oft-repeated motif in Hindi film songs. Well, from this thought to the thought of making list was a short hop.
Letting go, is a difficult task in life and not only the lover but also many other things in life. So here is to the process of relinquishing and surrender!
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Tags: Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar, Anand Bakshi, Anil Biswas, Asha Bhosle, Asha Parekh, Bade Dilwaala [1983], Bees Saal Baad [1962], Beqaraar Kar Ke Hume Yun Na Jaiye, Biswajeet, Bulo C. Rani, dev anand, Dharmendra, Do Badan [1966], Don't go... !, Geeta Dutt. Nargis, Hemant Kumar, Hum Dono [1962], Jaidev, Jogan [1950], jogi jab se tu aayaa more dwaare, Kahin Na Jaa Aaj Kahin Mat Jaa, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Manoj Kumar, Mat Jaa Mat Jaa Mat Jaa Jogii, Mat Jaiyo Naukariya Chhodke, mat jaiyon nagariya chhod ke, Meerabai, Mere Hamdam Mere Dost [1968], Mohammad Rafi, Mujhe Jeene Do [1963], Na Jaa Kahin Ab Na Jaa Dil Ke Sivaa, Na Jaa... !, Na Jaiyo Radhe Cheedenge Shyam, Naa Dir Diim ... Naa Jaa Naa Jaa Balam Balam Mere Naa, Naa Jaa O Mere Humdum, Nadii Naare Na Jaao Shaam Paiyaan padu, Nasir Husain, Padmini, Pardesi[ 1957], Prem Dhawan, Pyar Ka Mausam [1969], R. D. Burman, Ravi, Rishi Kapoor, Sadhana, Sahir Ludhianvi, Sardar Jafri, Sau Saal Baad [1966], Shakeel Badayuni, Sharmila Tagore, Shashi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Tina Munim, Waheeda Rehman
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!
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Tags: Aadesh Srivastav, Alka Yagnik, Amitabh Bachchan, Anand Bakshi, Anhonee (1952), Anil Biswas, Anjaan, Asha Bhosle, atulsongaday, Baazi 1968, Baghban (2003), Bombay Ka Chor (1962), C Ramchandra, Chand Zard Zard Hai Mere Dil Mein, Ek Nanhi Munni Ladki Thi (1970), Ganesh, Gope, Hello Hello Ji, Hema Malini, Jaali Note (1960), Jalte Hain Jiske Liye, Jidher Dekhoon Teri Tasveer, Juari (1968), Kahan Gaya Mera Sanam, Kaho Kya Hai Ji, Kalyanji-Anandji, Kishore Kumar, Krishna Bose, Mahaan (1983), Main Yahaan Tu Wahaan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mala Sinha, Mere Dil Ki Dhadkan Kyaa Bole, Mohd. Rafi, Mr. Naidu, Mubarak Begum, Mumtaz, Nanda, Nargis, Neend Ud Jaye Teri Chain Se Sone Wale, Nigar Sultana, Nutan. Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon, O. P. Nayyar, Patanga (1949), Pyar Ki Yeh Batein Humko Na Samjao, R. D. Burman, Rajinder Krishan, Ravi, S. D. Burman, Sameer, Samshad Begum & Chitalkar, Shailendra Raj Kapoor, Shakeel Badayuni, Shashi Kapoor, Sujata (1959), Suman Kalyanpur, Sunil Dutt, Talat Mahmood, Talat Mahmood & Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mohammad, Tanuja, Telephone songs, Waheeda Rehman
My ten favourite moon songs
Tomorrow is full moon and we all know what it does … ahem…, to the lovers. No wonder that the moon features in so many songs. It also has different roles in it. The moon is at times the messenger, at times it is an intruder, sometimes it is a catalyst or also be addressed as the beloved him or herself. It can be different things, but one thing is for sure, it doesn’t leave the lovers cold and nor it does me.
The moon songs genre belongs to one of my favourites. There are so many songs with chaand in it, that it is really very difficult to choose ten. So I had to use the following criteria:
1. The songs have to blatantly call out to the moon.
2. Not included are comparisons with moon (so, no chaudhvin ka chaand ho),
3. nor indirect allusions to the moon (no o jaanewale chaand…),
4. nor mere confirmation of its presence (no chaand akela jaye sakhi ri),
5. nor be a lullaby (no chandaa o chandaa kisne churayi).
So here are my favourite 10 ‘chaand’ songs (in chronological order) from Hindi cinema.
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Tags: A R Rahman, Aarti Mukherji, Ameerabai Karnataki, Angulimaal, Anil Biswas, Asha Bhosle, Ashok Kumar, Awaara, Aye chaand zaraa chup jaa, Bharat Bhushan, Bharat Vyas, Bhartruhari, Chanda jaa chanda jaa re jaa, Chanda re chanda kabhi to zameen par aa, Chandaa desh piya ke jaa, Chandaa re jaa re jaa re, Dam bhar jo udhar munh phere, dev anand, Dheere dheere chal chaand gagan me, Dheere dheere dhal re chanda, Dil Ek Mandir, Dilip Dholakia, Hariharan, Hasrat Jaipuri, Jaa jaa re chanda jaa re, Javed Akhtar, Jayshree Gadkar, Kamini Kaushal, Khemchand Prakash, Laatsaab, Lata Mangeshkar, Love Marriage, Madan Mohan, Mala Sinha, Manmauji, Meena Kumari, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Nargis, Nimmi, Nutan, Prem Dhawan, Private Secretary, Pt. Indra Chandra, Raaj Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rajinder Krishan, Ruk ja raat theher jaa re chandaa, Sadhana, Sadhna Sargam, Sapnay, Shailendra, Shammi Kapoor, Shankar-Jaikishan, Ziddi