Why I Love Bollywood: The Playlist (Part 2)
A continuation of Why I Love Bollywood: The Playlist (Part 1):
- Song: "Choli Ke Peeche" (What's beneath your blouse?)
Film: Khal Nayak (The Anti-Hero, 1993); dir. Subhash Ghai
Stars: Ila Arun, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt
Composers: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Singers: Ila Arun, Alka Yagnik
I can't resist the playfully suggestive lyrics, propulsive music and Madhuri's outrageously flirtatious performance. What's beneath her choli? Her heart, of course:
- Song: "Dil Laga Liya" (I gave you my heart)
Film: Dil Hai Tumhaara (My Heart Is Yours, 2002); dir. Kundan Shah
Stars: Preity Zinta, Jimmy Shergill, Mahima Chaudhary, Rekha
Composers: Nadeem-Shravan
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan
Samir (Jimmy Shergill) loves Shalu (Preity Zinta), and Shalu loves Dev (Arjun Rampal), while Dev is betrothed to Shalu's sister Nimmi (Mahima Chaudhary). At Nimmi's engagement party Shalu performs a song that expresses her own hopeless love for Dev...
- Song: "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" (What is my heart?)
Film: Umrao Jaan (1983); dir. Muzaffar Ali
Star: Rekha
Composers: Khayyam (music), Shahryar (lyrics).
Singer: Asha Bhosle
Another story of hopeless love; the tragic courtesan Umrao Jaan is Rekha's greatest role.
- Song: "Pyar Kiya" (When one has loved, why be afraid?)
Film: Mughal-e-Azam (The Great Mughal, 1960); dir. K. Asif
Star: Madhubala
Composers: Naushad (music), Shakeel Badayuni (lyrics)
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
The dancer Anarkali (Madhubala) defiantly declares her love for Prince Salim (Dilip Kumar) before the Emperor Akhbar (Prithviraj Kapoor) and his court. Sensing a theme?
- Song: "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna" (Adorn yourself with henna)
Film: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Brave Heart Will Take The Bride, 1995); dir. Aditya Chopra
Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Composers: Jatin-Lalit (music), Anand Bakshi (lyrics)
Singers: Udit Narayan, Lata Mangeshkar
I love the interplay of secret glances and coded messages as Raj (Shah Rukh) performs this song for his lover Simran (Kajol) at the celebration of her engagement to another man.
- Song: "Kajra Re" (Dark eyes)
Film: Bunty aur Babli (Bunty and Babli, 2005); dir. Shaad Ali
Stars: Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan
Composers: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (music), Gulzar (lyrics)
Singers: Alisha Chinai, Shankar Mahadevan, Javed Ali
An instant classic.
- Song: "Saakhiya Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahin Aayegi"
Film: Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam (Master, Mistress and Servant, 2005); dir. Abrar Alvi
Star: Minoo Mumtaz
Composers: Hemant Kumar (music); Shakeel Badayuni (lyrics)
Singer: Asha Bhosle
The gorgeous black and white cinematography of this number (V. K. Murthy is the credited cinematographer, and this song was probably directed by Guru Dutt), with silhouetted backup dancers surrounding the brightly lit courtesan, shows what films lost when technicolor became the standard.
- Song: "Dhoom Taana"
Film: Om Shanti Om (2007); dir. Farah Khan
Stars: Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan
Composers: Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar Ravjiani (music), Javed Akhtar (lyrics)
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Abhijeet
An homage to Bollywood heroes of the 1960s and 1970s, including Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna, and Jeetendra, among others.
Good selection of songs here. It would be impossible for me to do a playlist as there are too many songs I like!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Filmbuff! Yes, selection was definitely an issue, and I didn't do a good job of limiting my choices (which is why parts 3 & 4 will be future posts). I've barely scratched the surface, and I haven't really begun to explore earlier films: 75% of my choices are from the past two decades.
ReplyDeleteI could make a playlist just of Helen songs, but of course Memsaab has done it already (and far better than I could).
Thanks again for your comment, and look for Parts 3 & 4 sometime soon.
yep i shall look forward to parts 3 and 4. I do visit your blog regularly and drop in a comment when i have something to say or share.
ReplyDeleteMemsaab's lists are really enjoyable whether it is helen's songs or rain songs etc