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.
Read the rest of this entry »
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
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! 😉
Read the rest of this entry »
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