This post is on the same lines like Dustedoff’s ‘Some thoughts on the songs of Pyaasa‘. Bandini is a classic film, about which much has been written and said. It is always a treat for the eyes and the soul to watch it. As I was returning from Germany last Sunday, I was humming O jaane wale ho sake to laut ke aanaa and the thought crossed my mind to write up on the songs of the film, since they are so much like companions for me.

The music is by S. D. Burman and the lyrics by Shailendra and Gulzar (Mora gora ang lai le) It is interesting, that of the seven songs only two are picturised on the main character of the film. The two male protagonists don’t get any songs. Of the remaining five, four songs are sung by junior artistes and one is a background song.
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Tags: Asha Bhosle, Ashok Kumar, Bandini, Bandini film review, Bikash, Bimal Roy, Deven, Dharmendra, film synopsis, Good Luck Tea House, Gulzar, Kalyani, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Mukesh, Nutan, Praveen Paul, Raja Paranjape, S. D. Burman, Shailendra, Songs of Bandini, Tarun Bose
My 10 favourite Nutan songs
Yesterday, June 4, was Nutan’s 75th birth anniversary. Nutan was a great actress and she was good-looking too. She had a career of 20 years in leading romantic roles and even in her third decade of her career, she got plump roles, which is quite uncommon in the Hindi film industry. In the 80s eventually she started taking up mother roles for leading heroes. And she did what in the 50s it seems was quite common, she worked even after getting married and childbirth.

Fellow-blogger and a big fan of Nutan, Yves, has put up a monument for Nutan. So if anybody wants to know more about her, just visit this. Bollywood deewana, who also shares his birthday with Nutan (Happy Birthday, Bolly Deewana!) has put up scans of an article with interviews of her relatives.

Nutan’s films were mostly with very good music, which makes choosing 10 songs a bit difficult. That is why the list is of solo songs only. Nutan herself had a beautiful singing voice though she never put it into practice for the films.

So here are my 10 favourite solo songs featuring Nutan (in chronological order).
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Tags: 10 favourite Nutan solo songs, Aakhri Dao, Asha Bhosle, Balraj Sahni, Bandini, Bharat Bhushan, Chand Phir Nikla, dev anand, Dil Hi To Hai, Dulhan Ek Raat Ki, Hasrat Jaipuri, Haye Unki Wo Nigaahen, Jogan Ban Jaungi Saiyan Tore Karan, Jogi Jab Se Tu Aaya Mere Dwaare, Kaali Ghata Chhaye Mora Jiya, kaanton ko hum mahkayenge, Kai Din Se Dil Hai, Kaifi Azmi, Lata Mangeshkar, Madan Mohan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Man Mohana Bade Jhoote, Naushad, Nigahein Milane Ko Jee Chahta, Nutan's 75th birth anniversary, Paying Guest, phool to kya hai, piano songs; Tumse Bichhad Ke Chain Kahan; Maharaja, Raj Kapoor, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Roshan, S. D. Burman, Sahir, Sanjay Khan, Seema, Shabab, Shailendra, Shakeel Badayuni, Shammi, Shankar-Jaikishan, Shekhar, Sujata, Tere Ghar ke Samne, Yeh Tanhai Hay Re Hay
My 10 favourite ‘maanjhi’ songs from Hindi cinema

To say that I love the maanjhi songs would be an understatement. Particularly “O re maanjhi” from Bandini takes me to a different dimension. Maanjhi (also pronounced as maajhi) is a boatman. In songs and poems they are often pleaded to by lovers (mostly women) to take them across the river to meet their beloved. In devotional songs he is the spiritual master who is being begged by the seeker to give him/her that shift in consciousness, which will take him/her from the body consciousness to brahman. These two different levels give the songs a certain spin.
So here are my favourite 10 ‘maanjhi’ (in chronological order) songs from Hindi cinema. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke. Maanjhi naiya dhoondhe kinara, Amit Kumar, Amitabh Bachhan, Aruna Irani, Asha Parekh, Ashok Kumar, baaz, Bade acche lagte hai, Ballika Badhu, Bandhe Hath, Bandini, Biraj Bahu, chalo hole hole, dev anand, Dharmendra, Ferry, geeta bali, Gulzar, guru dutt, Hema Malini, Hemant Kumar, Hum Hindustani, Jeetendra, Kamini Kaushal, Kashti, Khushboo, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Maajhi Albele, Maanjhi Chal O Maanjhi Chal, Maanjhi Meri Qismat Ke Jee Chahe, Manjhi re le chal naiyya, mere saajan hai us paar, Mumtaz, Naav Badha Le Maajhi Jor Laga Le, Nirmal Choudhary, Nutan, O Maanjhi O Maanjhi Re, O maanjhi re apna kinara, OP Nayyar, Pancham, Rajendra Krishna, Rajni Sharma, RD Burman, Sachin, SD Burman, Shailendra, Swaroop Dutt, tu Chale To Cham Cham Baje, Upahaar, Usha Khanna