My ten favourite blind women songs
I got the idea for this post when I read Yves’ review of the Sparsh [1980]. Blind people abound in Hindi cinema mostly as some blind chachas (uncles) in slums or are poor sisters or mothers, for whose eye-operation the hero commits some crime. Then there are the female leads, who are blind, where the story follows one way or the other the plot of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. Of course there are stories, where the story follows a different path altogether. All the stories have one thing in common that mostly the curing of the blindness plays a central role in the story. Exceptions as usual confirm the rule.

In my post Mala Sinha song list, while commenting the song from Patanga. I wrote that the species of blind heroines became rare in the 80s. I didn’t know that they had become so abundant in the last decade. My favourites though, as you would guess, are not from the last decade but earlier. Well, here they are! Enjoy!
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Tags: Aaj Raat Ko, Abke Na Sawan Barse, Ae Kaash Mein, Amitabh Bachchan, Anand Bakshi, Anuraag [1972], Aparna Sen, Asha Bhonsle, Asha Parekh, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat [1981], blind flower girl, Blind women, Chirag [1969], Chitchor, Chitragupta, Do Ghoont Mujhe Bhi Pilaade Sharabi, Faisla [1988], geeta bali, Gulzar, Hai Woh Pardesi Man Me, Hema Malini, Hemlata, Imaan Dharam [1977], Jailor [1958], Jeetendra, Jheel Ke Us Paar [1973], kandibona phagun gele, Kinara [1977], Koi To Aiye Re Bada Intezar Hai, Lalita Pawar, Lata Mangeshkar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Log Kahe Mera Saanwalaa Sa Rang Hai, Madan Mohan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mala Sinha Rajendra Kumar, Moushumi Chaterjee, Mujhi Me Chhupkar Mujhi Se Door, Mumtaz, Nasseruddin Shah, Patang (1960), R. D. Burman, Raakhee, Rajendra Krishan, Rameshwari, Rang Dil Ki Dhadkan Bhi, Ravindra Jai, Saira Banu, Satyajeet, Shashi Kapoor, Sohrab Modi, Sujit Kumar, Sun Ri Pawan, Sunayana [1979], Sunil Dutt, Vijendra Ghatge, Vinod Mehra
My ten favourite Dharmendra songs

Dharmendra had his birthday on 8th December, but unfortunately it was shadowed by Dev Anand’s demise. Happy belated Birthday, Dharmendra!

So much has been written about Dharmendra’s good looks. What shall I add to it? When I think of his fine appearance, the song that comes to my mind is:
chaand aahen bharega (the moon will sigh)
phool dil tham lenge (the flowers will clasp their hearts)
husn ki baat chali to (when the talk is of good looks)
sab tera naam lenge (your name will be mentioned)
What I find enchanting about him is his dazzling smile. When he smiles it has an assurance of ‘everything will be fine’ and one just melts away. He was not only good looks; he also made some splendid movies, till he went into the kutte-kaminey mode.

Choosing songs from his films was not easy, since many good songs by Mohd. Rafi have picturised on him. So to make things easier for me I had to put in some rules
a) One song pro film
b) Only solo songs
c) Songs to which he lip syncs, i.e. no background songs,that is why pal pal dil ke paas from Blackmail [1973] is conspicuous by its absence.
After the correction by Samir, I’ll put another clause:
d) Songs, where he is not “in Rakhee’s imagination, or just floating around”, that is why pal pal dil ke paas from Blackmail [1973] is conspicuous by its absence. 😉

Ten favourite Dharmendra songs is not a very original post. Sunehriyaadein and Greta have also done a similar post some time ago. Here is my take on it. So, here we go…
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Tags: Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai, Aap Ke Haseen Rukh Pe, aga ye jawal ye laju nako, Anand Bakshi, Anjaan, Anupama [1966], Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi [1966], Bhupendra, Blackmail [1973], Do Chor [1972], Dulhan Ek Raat Ki [1967], Duniya O Duniya Tera Jawab Nahin, Ek Haseen Shaam Ko, Ek Hi Khwab Kai Baar Dekha, Gulzar, Happy Birthday Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Hemant Kumar, jaane woh kaise log they, Kahani Kismat Ki [1973], Kaifi Azmi, Kalyanji-Anandji, Khamoshi [1969], Kinara [1977], Kishore Kumar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Loafer [1973], Madan Mohan, Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mala Sinha, Meri Jaan, meri jaan meri jaan kehna maano, Mohammad Rafi, Mumtaz, My ten favourite Dharmendra songs, Naya Zamana [1971], Nutan, O. P. Nayyar, pal pal dil ke paas, Pratiggya [1975], Pyaasa, R. D. Burman, Rafta Rafta Dekho Aankh Meri Ladi Hai, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Rajinder Krishan, S. D. Burman, Tanuja, Tum Pukar Lo, Waheeda Rehman, Ya Dil Ki Suno
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 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