Love is a many splendoured thing as a songwriter put it. We experience different facets of love through childhood to adult. But the feeling of being in love is unique.
Come to think of it, who hasn?t fallen in love one time or the other? Music enhances the feeling of love. What do you do when you are apart from your beloved? How do you let her/him know of your love? How do you resolve a lover?s tiff? Simple. You just listen to music or in this case a hindi film song for solace or inspiration. The music industry has created a song for each unique situation. Aren?t we lucky that we have this apparently inexhaustible database of music?
Well, It didn?t seem a difficult task to select twenty songs, but when I got down to it I couldn?t decide which song to omit, as there are so many fabulous songs. These are the songs, which have touched me in some way or the other. I consider the first song in the list to be the mother of all love songs. The rest are not in any particular order.
*1. Lag Je Gale(Who Kaun Thi)
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
Music: Madan Mohan *
A song for the ages by Madan Mohan. Lata Mangeshkar sounds absolutely divine here. Sadhana looks gorgeous and ethereal. Her come hither look as she sings to Manoj Kumar make your senses go faster. I would think one of the few songs of that time where the female is seducing the male, albeit in a subtle way. A song urging that the present moment is spent in love, as you don?t know if you will meet again. This is a complete song with great lyrics too.
Humko Mili Hain Aaj Yeh Ghadiyaan Naseeb Se
Jee Bhar Ke Dekh Lijiye Humko Qareeb Se
Phir Aapke Naseeb Mein Yeh Baat Ho Na Ho
Shaayad Phir Is Janam Mein Mulaaqaat Ho Na Ho
*2. Baahon Ke Darmiyaan(Khamoshi)
Singers: Alka Yagnik & Hariharan
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Music: Jatin-Lalit *
A flowing melody with great singing by Alka and Hariharan. Does your heartbeat go crazy when you are with your lover? Hesitant to take the first step.? Let your eyes speak?
*3. Na Jaane Kyon(Choti Si Baat)
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Yogesh
Music: Salil Chowdhary *
A song that captures the loneliness when you are apart from your beloved. Every little thing reminds you of him. Amol Palekar keeps popping up in front of Vidya Sinha as she daydreams in the film. Yogesh and Salilda made a great team in Anand too.
*4. Tere Bina Zindagi Se(Aandhi)
Singer: Lata and Kishore
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: R.D.Burman *
A poignant duet having great https://lyrics. One of the all time classics from R.D.Burman-Gulzar. Suchitra Sen looks dignified with those grey locks. She and Sanjeev Kumar made a great pair in this film. A song about wistfully looking back at the long period of separation. A hope that this time it?s forever. *Tum jo keh do to aaj ki raat, chaand doobega nahi, raat ko rok lo. Raat ki baat hai, aur zindagi baaki to nahi *. so meaningful yet so much left unsaid?waah Gulzar saab!
*5. Pal Pal Dil Ke Pas(Blackmail)
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
Music: Kalyanji-Anandji *
Dharmendra and Rakhee feature in this song. Dharmendra expresses his love through letters as he keeps reminiscing of her.
*6. Tu Is Thare Se(Ap To Aise Na The)
Singer: Manhar Udhas
Lyrics: Nida Fazli
Music: Usha Khanna *
This song had three versions. Hemlatha and Mohd Rafi sung the other two. But the one occasion where the clone sounded better than the master. Manhar?s voice imparts just the right mixture of hope and longing. Great lyrics by the often neglected Nida Fazli.
*7. Pyar Hua Chup Ke(1942 Love Story)
Singer: Kavitha Krishnamurthy
Lyrics: Javed Akthar
Music: R.D.Burman *
A masterpiece score from RDB. Kavitha sounds sublime. When you are in love you see the world through different eyes and everything looks beautiful.
*8. Dil Tadap Tadap(Madhumati)
Singers: Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Shailendra
Music: Salil Chowdhary*
Screened on a beautiful Vyjayantimala and dashing Dilip Kumar. All the songs in Madhumati were fabulous.
*9. Ishq Bina(Taal)
Singers: Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Sriram, Sujatha, A.R.Rehman
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: A.R.Rahman *
A superb composition from A.R.Rehman. The song never seems to take off but still captures our attention.
*10. Humein Tumse Pyar Kitna(Kudrat)
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri
Music: R.D. Burman*
A Kishore Kumar classic. When your love for your beloved overwhelms you. You cannot live without her?
*11. Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi(Chori Chori)
Singers: Manna Dey & Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Shailendra
Music: Shankar-Jaikishen*
Raj Kapoor gazing at the moon and a hesitant Nargis watching him. Manna Dey doing a brilliant job. Wonder why Raj Kapoor didn?t use his voice that often.
*12. Tu Hawa Hai(Fiza)
Singers: Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik
Lyrics: Gulzar
Music: Anu Malik *
Sonu Nigam sounds very sensual in this song, ably supported by Alka Yagnik. A slow romantic ballad by Anu Malik. A great melody that lingers in your mind a long time after you have listened to the song.
*13. Jo Wada Kiya(Taj Mahal)
Singers: Mohd Rafi & Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi
Music: Roshan *
I remember listening to this song when growing up, as this was one of my mum?s favourite songs. A classic.
*14. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam(HDDCS)
Singers: Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Mohd Bardal, Dominique
Lyrics: Mehboob
Music: Ismail Darbar*
In the film, as Ajay Devgan takes his wife Aishwarya Rai to Salman she hesitates as she begins to realize that she does after all love her husband. A beautiful composition by Ismail Darbar which captures the mood. Kavitha as usual sounds great.
Tere yaadon ke saye mein guzregi yeh zindagi *is sung with great expression.
*15. Aaja Re Aa(Love in Tokyo)
Singer: Mohd Rafi
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
Music: Shanker-Jaikishen *
A passionate song from Mohd Rafi. His expressive singing makes this a gem. Joy Mukherjee sings this while romancing Asha Parekh
*16. Do Lafzhon Ki Hai(The Great Gambler)
Singer: Asha Bhosle
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: R.D.Burman *
This was filmed on Amitabh and Zeenat Aman taking a ride on a gondola. The use of the mandolin aptly adds a spanish touch to the song. The only good song in this film. One of Asha Bhosle?s all time hits.
*17. Dard-E-Dil(Karz)
Singer: Mohd Rafi
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal*
A superhit from the Subhash Ghai school of music. Another example of Anand Bakshi?s genius in conveying a range of emotions in simple everyday language.
*18. Do Dil Mil Rahe Hai(Pardes)
Singer: Kumar Sanu
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: Nadeem-Shravan *
You are falllliinngg in love.! A mellow tune where the nasal Kumar Sanu does more than an able job.
Continued in Comments.