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
Hidden umbrella passions in ten Hindi film songs
Umbrellophily, a phenomenon not spoken sung about in the Hindi film industry. The author of these lines like many other fans of Hindi film songs was not aware of this shocking fact either. During his search for a list of his 10 favourite umbrella songs (since rain-song lists have been beaten to death), he stumbled over this taboo topic in the Hindi cinema. While he was searching, he could unearth only three songs, which mention an umbrella and two-thirds of them were not even melodious. Why this step-motherly treatment towards this ‘protector against rain’?
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Tags: aakhir tuut jaatha hai, Aap ke nazaron ne samjha, Aasha, Aayega, aayega aanewaalaa, Ab mera kaun sahara, Amitabh Bachchan, Anand Bakshi, Anpadh, Asha Bhosle, Asha Parekh, Ashok Kumar, bari, Barsaat, Bhichde sabhi bari, Dharmendra, Dhoop Chhaon, Do lafzon ki hai dil ki kahani, gondola, gondoliere, Gulzar, guru dutt, hai lagaa, Hasrat Jaipuri, Hema Malini, Hindi film songs, hum par jurm kare, Jaya Bhaduri, Joshila, K. C. Dey, K. L. Saigal, Kaagaz ke Phool, Kaantaa lagaa, Kaifi Azmi, Madhubala, Mahal, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Mala Sinha, My Sister. Do naina matware tihare, Nargis, Parichay, Pt. Sudarshan, pyaar ke kabil mujhe, Pyaasa, R. C. Boral, R. D. Burman, Rain songs, Raj Kapoor, Rameshwari, Reena Roy, Rehman, Samadhi, Shakti Samanta, Shankar-Jaikishan, Sheesha ho ya dil ho, Sonaa mile to log aaj kal dil ko kabhi na le, Teri ghathri me laaga chor musaafir jaag zara, The Great Gambler, umbrella, Umbrella passions, Umbrellophily, Vishal Bharadwaj, Zeenat Aman
