Eh Jeevan Hai( Piya ka Ghar / Kishore Kumar/ Rajshri Productions) The philosophy of life and adjustment, life in the city all captured in a great song. Very soulfully rendered by Kishore. 2.Deewana Hua Baadal( Kashmir Ki Kali Md Rafi/ Asha OP Nayaar) OP Nayaar compositions are intoxicating. The music flows like a river serene one moment, mischievous the next. The Shammi-Rafi tango gave us many a masterpiece. This is right up there on the top.
Jaane Jaan( Jawaani Diwani KK/ AB/ RDB/AB) The ultimate pep song. RDB was the first man who could do wonders in recording. His music might have been inspired but in improvisations he was second to none. Hear Asha’s absolute joy as she renders her lines. Be amazed at her range. 4. Tujse naaraaz nahin( Masoom / Anup Ghoshal/ RDB/ Gulzar) A Bengali accent is easily overcome by the truth of this song. Lata has sung a competent version of this song. But Anup’s version is so charming. There is a lump in your throat, mist in your eyes after you have heard the song.
Beethe hue .( Nikaah / Mahendra Kapoor/ Ravi) This song is the anthem of a jinxed lover. Any man who sings “Khwabon mein ho jaaye mulakaathu tho hogi” has already given up hope. Good poetry .
Tum Jho Mil Gaye Ho( Hanste Zakhm /Md Rafi /Kaifi Azmi/Madanmohan)Another great song from the all round genius of Rafi. Poignant, reflective. Madanmohan’s music is mesmerising . it is one moment slow at another exuberant. kaifi azmi’s words add to the charm. only priya rajvansh and navin nischol dampen the spirit somewhat. But for a song picturised in mUmbai’s monsoon even that may not be a bad thing!
Naa Jaaon Sayaan churaa ke( Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam/ Geeta Dutt/ A Guru Dutt masterpiece. What do you say about Geeta Dutt’s vocal chords. I feel Lata was lucky that Geeta Bali hit the bottle & met an untimely death. The song has to be savoured in leisure.
Main zindagi ki saath( Hum Dono Md Rafi/ Jaidev) When we talk of HFM we just can’t ignore Dev Anand. This ode to smoking even makes a non smoker feel like having a puff. The anthem for smokers all over India! But “ Har fikr ko duwaan mein ood sakthaa hai kya?”
Aye gaa Aaane waala aye gaa( Mahal Lata /?) Hindi’s first supernatural movie had a haunting score and this song was its crowning glory. The swing and Madhubala’s face remain etched in the viewers mind long after the movie is over. A young Lata’s voice was magical. Juxtapose it with Mere khwabon mein Jo aaye in DDLJ and I gnash my teeth in despair.
10 Yaara Sili Sili( Lekhin/ Lata/ Hirendranath) One haunting song to another.Singing for a ghost is more like it. The voice fits here! This song is not silly but truly magical. Yara silli silli alongwith “ Yeh raat ajnabee something something” in Ainaa are the last good Lata songs.
Pehla nasha( Jo Jeeta wohi Sikander/ Udit & Sadhana/ Jatin-Lalit) Sulakshna Pandit’s siblings came of age with this movie. I like the song and I wonder if there is a connection between this fact & Udit & Sadhana heading south & hitting pay dirt in Tamil.
Pal Pal Pal( Blackmail/ Kishore/ KA) The whole package is good. The tune, song, situation & the director’s deft handling of Pajee. The shama parwana theme has been ground to dust but here the metaphor strikes a chord. Is it Kishore’s singing or Pajee’s presence. Old here is definitely gold.
13Tere Aankhon ke siwa( Chirag/ Rafi/Madan Mohan) The ultimate love song for me. Here the guy is entirely smitten and has lost his sense of proportion, reality all takes a back seat. This song portrays that mental frame perfectly to a Tee. I regard it as Rafi’s tour de force
Asmaan Se Aaya Faristha( Evening In Paris/Rafi/ SJ) The other side of Rafi. Bubbly, frivolous and totally irreverent. The effect awesome.
Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum( Silsila/ Lata & Amitabh/ Shiv- Hari) Shiv-hari’s achievement in not arriving with excessive baggage of their classical experience. The crescendo at the end is unbelievable. If AB had nothing else but read the poetry he would have had his place in Hindi film history. What a voice! Unfortunately he did too many other things which at times it seemed the whole of India except me liked.
16 Tu Jo Mere Sur Mein(Chitchor / KJYesudoss & Hemalatha/ Ravindra Jain) The classical primer. Singing is obviously very easy to KJY. The simpleness(ordinariness?) of Hemalatha’s voice in a curious way has added to the lustre of the song. Well done Ravindra Jain.
- Ishq Bina( Taal/ Sonu Nigam et al/ ARR) The best chorus you could ever find in Hindi film music. I like the finality of Sonu’s statement “ Tumne Ishqka naam sunaa hai humne Ishq kiya hai”. Added to this ARR’s unrivalled capacity to layer in the music, we have a sure winner here.
18 Dhol Baaje( Hum Dil De Chukke Sanam/ Ismail Darbar) Right on the heels of Taal came HDDCS and this was probably the most confident debut of an MD in Hindi. This album is superb and nothing exemplifies this more than this” joie de vivre” song. Unfortunately from excellent he has become adequate in Devdas. I am still keeping my fingers crossed.
- Ghoonghat Me Chehra Aap Kaa( Ghoonghat/ Hariharan/ Anand Raj Anand) From one new entrant to another. When Hindi films had stagnated under the repetitive lyrics & music as exemplified by the trio of Nadeem Shravan and Sameer, Anand Raj Anand came like a whiff of fresh air. Being a lyricist composer he had the advantage of coming out with cute little romantic ballads. His early movies were all low budget cinema which suited me fine. Listen to Hariharan croon so cutely and listen to the slip and dash the ebb and flow of this song. Unfortunately he has now gone on to seemingly bigger things and he is now pardon me “Khallas”
20 Na Jaane Kyon( Choti Si Baat / Lata/ Salil Choudhary) I have arrived at my journey’s end. I’ll finish with a surprising winner. Surprising because neither Lata nor Salil Choudhary is a favourite of mine. But this song is right up at the top. We always remember our loved ones in their absence. The western flourish of the orchestration and the tuning fork of a Lata rendition make this a gem. A final note to the music lovers . For fear of making mistakes I’ve left out the names of the lyricists. Do tell me about it. I’ll do the needful. They deserve all the credit.