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25 June 2012

My Favourites: Songs of Seduction

I wrote a post on sensuous songs, songs that I thought were erotic without being raunchy or vulgar. This is its sister-post - songs of seduction. These are more explicit in their portrayal (within the parameters of Hindi films). Originally, when films did follow a decent script, we had directors who used songs to pull the narrative along. So, even while we had 'vamps' singing songs, it did have a concrete purpose in the larger scheme of things - for example, Jaata kahan hai diwaane  in CID,  or Tadbeer se bigdi hui in  Baazi,  or even  Mud mud ke na dekh in Shree 420. Nightclub numbers accommodated a more 'westernised' tune into films. But as films became more and more 'masala', the songs of seduction became precursors to the 'item songs' of today. 

The 'vamp' would usually be a nightclub dancer, giving an opportunity for a 'nightclub' song. (I have a pet theory about this - I can just 'see' the producer going to a music director, most probably RD Burman, and saying, "Panchamda, do love song chahiye, ek virah gaan, aur ek nightclub number - aap jaante hai na - ek 'maadern' song." All this without having the script in his hand, or letting Panchamda know the sequence he was composing for. Of course, this is only my theory.) And as the years progressed, the costumes became skimpier and skimpier.

There are many 'seductive' numbers out there, but I have restricted this post to songs of 'seduction', and that too, those that are picturised on one man / one woman. These songs fall into one of three categories: there is the vamp seducing the hero (he will be 'strong' and not give in); there is the heroine seducing the villain (only to get information out of him; she will of course, be rescued by the hero, or by a father-figure); and finally, there is the heroine (or the third angle to a triangle) seducing the hero - she will either be wife or girlfriend. If it is the latter, the hero is (usually) still strong, silent and disapproving.

My self-imposed constraints meant that I dismissed songs such as this, or this, even if the singer sizzled on screen. I have also eschewed the minimally dressed, overtly sexual songs simply because the picturisations do not appeal to me. (I prefer to listen  to those.) I agree that that is a dichotomy since I am  writing about seduction, but again, while I have nothing against honest nudity (thanks, Samir!), I do draw a line at the overtly sexual overtones that later songs brought in purely for titillation. And if that is prudishness, so be it. :) 

1. Raat akeli hai (Jewel Thief / Asha Bhonsle)
Tanuja looks like she should still have been in school, not mouthing lyrics like:
Tum aaj mere liye ruk jao rut bhi hai fursat bhi hai
Tumhein na hao na sahi mujhe tumse muhobath hai 
She is very direct in what she wants - Muhobath ki ijaazat hai, to chhup kyun rahiye, jo bhi chaahe kahiye. Yet, even with the billowing curtains, the skin-tight gown, and two glasses of Coca-Cola, she managed to induce an innocence into a staged seduction scene. Her exuberance made it seem more of an adolescent crush than a classic seduction. (Was I the only person who, watching Jewel Thief, wanted Dev to end up with Tanuja?) Of course, Devsaab being Devsaab, he didn't look disapproving. He merely treated it as par for the course. (It's not their fault they can't resist me! Therefore, they should be treated more with kindness than with disapproval.)

2. Ye hai reshmi zulfon (Mere Sanam / Asha Bhonsle)
This is the classic Hindi film 'entrapment' song. Even the seduction is fake. The vamp (in this case, Mumtaz, who would go on to become a successful heroine herself), sets out to seduce the hero so that the villain can take some incriminating photographs of the two of them. She is also half in love with the villain herself, but makes the mistake of threatening him in jest with her knowledge. Anyone who knows their Hindi films knows what will happen next. She is murdered and the hero (obviously!) is the suspect.   
Pyaasi hai nazar, haan, yeh bhi kehne ki hai baat kya
Tum ho mehmaan, toh na thehregi ye raat kya
A pug-nosed Mumu sizzled, pretty Biswajeet looked uncomfortable, and Asha Bhonsle sounded as seductive as only she could. 

3. Baahon mein chale aao (Anamika / Lata Mangeshkar) 
Probably the most unlikely seductress in the history of Hindi cinema. Even as she is exhorting him to 'Come into my arms' (Baahon mein chale aao) or even
Kabhi kabhi kuch to kaho piya humse
Ke kam se kam aaj to khulke milo zara humse
Hai raat apne, jo tum ho apne, kisi ka phir humein dar kya
Jaya Bhaduri brings a playfulness into the interaction. Sanjeev Kumar is, of course, trying to keep her quiet and escape at the same time. Their chemistry is incredible though, and it does keep you enthralled.

4. Woh haseen dard de do (Humsaya / Asha Bhonsle)
Well, one can't get more direct than this.
Tumhe tum se maangti hoon, zara apna haath de do
Mujhe aaj zindagi ki woh suhaag raat de do 
Since this is the heroine singing to the hero, they go through the 'Why is she singing such explicit lyrics to me?' expression followed by the 'I'm going away because obviously she's a ba-a-ad girl' expression until she begins to sing of how she's only loved him! Then,  and only then, does the tubelight go off in his dim brain! Of course she was not seducing him! She is in love with him.
Maine pyaar ke alaava kabhi tumse kuch na maanga
Tumhe jaane kya samajhkar maine har kadam pe chaaha 
And of course that is quite alright, then. He can now take her home to mother.

This is one of those songs that is better heard than seen. Lovely song, Ashatai at her sultry best, please watch the video at your own peril. You have to watch a Joy Mukherjee plastered with dark make-up to look several shades darker than he is, and a Mala Sinha with her eyes all slanted to look Oriental - don't say I didn't warn you.

(One of my younger son's favourite songs, it is played ad nauseum in the car, and on YouTube at home, so perhaps I'm biased. And yes, he seems to listen to all sorts of age-inappropriate numbers - his favourite song when he was barely a year old was Pyar kiya to darna kya, and he has since told a friend of mine that he is planning to get married around 23, since he doesn't think he can wait until he's 24 years old.)

5. Na jao saiyyan (Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam / Geeta Dutt)
This is a seduction with a difference. She is a wife who is desperate for her husband's company; he is a dilettante with a yen for visiting courtesans. When accused of shunning her company for that of a nautch girl, he retorts, 'Can you do what they do? Can you drink? Do you have it in you to attract a man, and keep his attention?' So she sets out to prove that she can, indeed. Only, she needs the strength that alcohol can give her. It is one of the most poignant scenes in a powerful movie - the depths to which a woman can fall to keep her man; and the ultimate betrayal when, even after her fall from grace, he still leaves.
Ye bikhri zulfein ye khilta gajra
Ye mehki chunri ye man ki madira
Ye sab tumhare liye hai preetam
Main aaj tumko jaane na doongi
Meena Kumari looked extremely beautiful and sensuous (in this, and in Piya aiso jiya mein) but Rehman was a bored and disinterested husband as he leaves. 

6. Thoda sa thehro (Victoria No 203 / Lata Mangeshkar)
This is the classic heroine-trying-to-seduce-the-villain-to-find-the-truth song. It is also the classic come-hither-but-stay-right-there song that all heroines get to sing (In the more politically incorrect days, they would have been termed a tease.) - 'good' girls still remain virtuous even if they are seducing a man. But one has to give Saira Banu credit for fashion designing. No one quite made such a sexy costume with bath towels and safety pins before.
She sings:
Thoda sa thehro
Karti hoon tumse vaada, Poora hoga tera iraada
Main hoon saari ki saari tumhaari, Phir kaahe ko jaldi karoon?

Of course it is the man's fault for taking her at her word. Honestly, though, I cannot think of any man who would have been taken in by the so-obvious ploy to get into the house, but no one gives minor villains in Hindi films credit for any brains, anyway. 
7. Lag jaa gale (Woh Kaun Thi / Lata Mangeshkar)
Most people would not count this as a 'seduction' song, I guess, but to me, it's rather unusual in the usual scheme of Hindi films. A beautiful maiden, a balmy breeze, and an unusually direct call to embrace, for
Humko mili hai aaj yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se
Jee bhar ke dekh keejiye humko kareeb se
Phir aap ke naseeb mein ye raat ho na ho

Which man can resist? Not Manoj Kumar. Not when the heroine is Sadhana, and not when she is adamant that  Lag jaa gale ke phir ye haseen raat ho na ho... 

8. Aaiye aapka tha intezaar  (Mahal / Asha Bhonsle)
Okay, I must confess I giggled when I first saw this clip. Because if it was intended as a seduction, then I'm afraid the picturisation failed (me) completely.  As my husband pointed out when I showed him the song (and if you are politically correct, just ignore the next statement, please): "Ugh, it's like being seduced by your sister." The lyrics are adequately seductive:
Hum na kehte the nigaahon se kheenche aayenge aap
Raat bhar jaagenge, tadpenge, machal jaayenge aap 

Asha sounds Asha-ish, which means she's at her seductive best (if you take my advice, you will just listen to the audio). Devsaab does the dialogue bit rather well and I don't blame the unlikely seductress one bit for looking seduced herself.

ps: The actress looks like a particularly adorable kitten; or a little child playing grownup. (And I thought Tanuja was young!)

9. Aa jaa re, aa zara (Love in Tokyo / Mohammed Rafi)
Aah. The first male voice in this list. Mohammed Rafi at his sensuous best. He's almost whispering the notes, slurring them in his inimitable style. Minimal instrumentation ensured that it was Rafi's voice that carried the song's haunting melody. *Shiver* Joy Mukherjee matches the mood onscreen. And one cannot blame Asha Parekh for her response (though she does play hard to get). How can a woman resist?  

10. Yeh raat yeh chaandni phir kahan (Jaal / Hemant Kumar)
I know I end up having this song on multiple lists. I had it on the previous one too. And in my post on well-picturised songs. But as I said in my post on sensuous songs, it is both sensuous and seductive. And Dev's Tony is  seducing Geeta's Maria. She knows he is bad news, she has already been warned about his profligate ways. And he knows she knows. Yet, he sings, each word, each phrase, increasing the inner conflict between her own rising desires, and her rational side which warns her that she is digging her own grave. 
Jaati bahaarein hain uthti jawaaniyan
Taaron ki chaaon mein pehle kahaaniyan
Ek baar chal diye gar tujhe pukar ke
Laut kar na aayenge kaafile bahaar ke
Aaja abhi zindagi hain jawaan
Sun ja dil ke dastaan 
He continues to strum the guitar, knowing she will come to his call, and she is drawn to him despite herself. It is a masterpiece in song picturisation - the storm outside mirroring the storm inside. And such simple sets - man, woman, a guitar and a palm-tree lined beach. Perfect.

Obviously, my picks, and definitely not a very comprehensive list. You might even disagree with my definition of 'seduction'. Fair enough. The comments section is open to your choices. What are they?

110 comments:

  1. Gosh, you've got to be the "Queen of lists" - one every third or fourth day? Do you go about your daily work, making mental lists of songs in your head? How do you do it? Here I am still racking my brains (or what passes for brains!) trying to think of some more sensuous songs, and you have already jumped on to the next list!
    Does this song count?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BTCwI5HEpg

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  2. Oh, well, I guess this song won't fit your criteria, because the hero isn't strong, and he isn't quite a hero. But what a vamp!


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKcaNydkNMg

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  3. Ouch! S warned me to let a week pass by, at least, before I put up another list. How he'll crow over me now! Sigh.

    But you are not far wrong - I have plenty of lists all ready - I mean the theme and songs. Then I have to figure out what to write about each. The only reason this came by so quickly on the heels of the other was because they were complementary posts. I thought they completed one another. Don't let that stop you from posting songs on the previous one, though.

    I have not seen / heard this song before, so thank you for that. But at least from the visuals, it sounds like she is a singer with musicians around. I mean, she's not singing to anyone particular, so who is she seducing? Can't be the musicians, no? (Anything is possible in a Hindi film.)

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  4. Richard, I have not seen the movie; and funnily enough, I have never seen the visual of this song, so I always thought of it as a love song. But IMDB tells me that in this film Nirupa Roy has misplaced her husband instead of her son, and so Shama is definitely the other woman. And it also seemed like she was very aware that Ashok Kumar was around when she was singing and dancing and frolicking around - so, yes, I think this fits. :) Lovely, lovely song, no? It's always been one of my favourite Geeta Dutt numbers.

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  5. I am laughing at the thought of her trying to seduce that boring, wooden faced guy who is playing the sitar! No, she is trying to seduce Mahipal (and in those days, we wondered why, because he didn't look like Dev Anand or Raj Kapoor or Dilip Kumar!). Shammi Kapoor hadn't become a big star, or at least, we hadn't heard much about him at that time.
    By the way, I forgot to add that it is a great list, with songs 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 and 10 being way up there on my list of favorites!

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  6. Ah, good. But Mahipal?? The musician guy is looking better now. :)In my defence, the only time I saw Mahipal was in Parasmani which I bought for the songs, and rued the day I bought it.

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  7. How right is your husband about aaiye aapka tha intezar! Farida Jalal as femme fatal is like Biswajeet playing a pirate. They have the basic equipment but not power!

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  8. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey, how I laughed at They have the basic equipment but not power! But oh, how right! Sigh.

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  9. I agree with all the songs in the lists, they are seductive.

    my contributions would be:
    aao na gale laga aao na from Mere Jeevan Saathi
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdJZQCOACN0

    sharma na yoon ghabra na yoon from Joshila
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWEfh1XrWBQ

    yeh mera dil yaar ka deewana from Don
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahf1OL6rFdk

    dilbar dil se pyaare from Caravan
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vq64_jLDCk

    nahin nahin abhi nahin from Jawaani Deewani
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d47b1jOrLk4

    Now that should be enough, otherwise people will accuse me of hogging space and stealing songs from them.

    Great post and a natural successor to the earlier post. I had been planning a similar post, but was just in awe of the amount of songs to be sifted. Thanks for taking up the job!

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  10. Thank you, Harvey. Of your choices, I had both aao na gale lagao na and Yeh mera dil pyar ka diwana on my list. And now I'm wondering why I didn't add them. :) I don't even remember knocking them off!

    Dev Anand seemed to spend a lot of his time being seduced by one woman or the other no?

    I cannot stand the Jawani Diwani song. I hated Jaya Bhaduri in that film though Jaane jaa is an absolute favourite! Dilbar dil se pyaare has too many people for it to be a seduction song. Though the lyrics do suggest just that. I mean, you can't seduce a chap, enmasse, yaar. :)

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  11. I see stiff competition for my 70's/80's slot, first you have 2 songs in your list, and then Harvey produces 5. :)
    Without a doubt, this is an excellent post, let me enumerate some "paisa-vasool" lines (If I was Amitabh in AAA, I would be throwing coins & notes).
    a) "Aap jaante hai na - ek maadern song"
    b) The 3 categories
    c) The comment about "being seduced by your sister".
    d) Was I the only person who, watching Jewel Thief, wanted Dev to end up with Tanuja? --- I felt the same.
    Also glad to bring you out in defense of honest nudity vs. crude titillation.


    My additions :-
    1) Hema Malini has at least 3 seduction songs in Sanyasi, here is the most famous. I expect she wanted extra pay since the "seductee" (I hope that is real word) is Manoj Kumar.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgNBvi2gEvA



    2) Seductress Simi & seductee Vishal Anand. What was it with the 70's, all these hot women and really blah men. At least someone trying to seduce a Dev or a Shammi or an Amitabh makes sense.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW2Ub3IAphQ



    3) A precursor to a real-life seduction, Rekha & Amitabh in the MKS kotha song.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQ4dV1MBMQ



    4) Saved the best for the last, a classic kotha seduction song with Nalini Jaywant and Dev Anand.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKpxQSawf6Y

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  12. Thank you, Samir. You have made my day! :) But I must give credit where credit is due - 'c' was my husband's contribution to the post.
    I'm sorry to have wandered into your domain, but kudos! You still managed to come up trumps. I actually love the Sanyasi song. LOL at Hema needing more pay in order to (play) seduce Bharat Kumar. I have heard the song from Chalte Chalte though I must say I have been fortunate in not having seen the film. Salam-e-Ishq - erm, I don't think so, because it is a kotha sequence. Doesn't count. :) (In my lexicon.) Actually, neither would the Kala Pani song, for that same reason because Nalni Jaywant doesn't know Dev at that point - he is just another customer. :) Come to think of it, I would put Hum bekhudi mein as the reverse seduction song - he sings it on purpose to make her fall in love with him.

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  13. Nothing to contribute here, because I'd thought up a list exactly like this (come hither, but NOT nightclub, and just one woman and one man involved). It included (and this will come as no surprise!) Aaiye aapka thha humein intezaar, Raat akeli hai and Yeh hai reshmi zulfon ka andhera. I never got beyond those songs, so have never posted that list... and now I don't need to! Lovely post, Anu. :-) Enjoyed those a lot.

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  14. Just a small correction. The singer in "thoda sa thehro" is Lata not Asha. Rest is as amazing a list as always.
    Just a question, where would this song fit in?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxH_UIm_JAE

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  15. You don't need to add the "in my defense" part, Anu! In my opinion, Mahipal ranks right up there with Bharat Bhushan in the category of "How did this guy get to be a hero?"

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  16. All this seduction, subtlety is fine... but what "oi loikes" is a girl who knows her own mind and is not above throwing custom and society to the winds and crossing the east south divide and stating her own mind.
    This is no nonsense seduction, the only thing bookish intellectuals will understand.
    This bulbulfromgermany has a decent print of the song but is not a dab hand at translating Bengali, good thing Padmini did not speak in Malayalam.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LihnVROIW7M

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  17. Madhu, I'm not surprised. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the songs.
    OT, but pertinent to our exchange about similarity of views and writing, check out my comment written before your response to Yves (on his SSS post).

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  18. Oops! *Scurrying off to make that correction* Thank you!

    The song from Talash would better fit my earlier post, I think. It's a very sensuous song, though I wish Sharmila wouldn't insist on wearing such goddawful wigs. :)

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  19. Laughing at that, but even poor Bharat Bhushan was better than that 4x4 plank of wood that Mahipal was.

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  20. Yes, she is as direct as she can be, isn't she? Poor Kishore looks like he swallowed a bullfrog.

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  21. "you can't seduce a chap, enmasse, yaar."

    No?

    Re.: Jawaani Deewani
    The songs are so good and all, but Jaya is really annoying in that film with her pallu tightly round the shoulder and a doll in her arm. Maybe they needed a real bimbo for that role and not an intelligent actress trying to do the bimbo act.
    Khair, hume to koyi puchta nahin casting ke pehle!

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  22. Manoj Kumar is also one such hero, who wanted to be seduced by his heroines all the time. Well he needed it. He just needed that confirmation and the heterosexual male audience thought if beautiful women are ready to seduce that baboon, why not me.
    'Taaking' of Bharat
    hai hai yeh majboori comes to my mind
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6T2mVXFPT8

    The above song is at least good, two decades later bharatji would come up with Kalerk, a rehash of RKaM
    and there is song where Anita Raaj .... I just hate writing this and I think I'll spare the song as well and go to better topics and better songs.

    How about bindiya chamkegi,chudi khankegi?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIQSnBbfeXY

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  23. And this is what I call a long-term seduction plan:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03DXW_rV54U

    And Geeta Bali is seducing Dev not only to a game of cards here
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lra2BNORt8Y

    though sounding sad this is seduction song as well
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBeNuDzOYlc

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  24. Oh, yes, that was my pet 'hate-Jaya-Bhaduri' movie. I wanted to take that doll and twist its neck or something!

    I swear, Harvey! Tumse poochta to kitna achcha hota! :)

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  25. Yes, Hai hai ye majboori is definitely a seduction song, but I wonder what Zeenat Aman thought about it. Mr Bharat looked like a cold fish, no?

    Bindiya chamkegi was a more 'innocent' seduction, though Mumu darling sizzled as always.

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  26. Harvey,
    1) is a 'haunting' seduction. :)
    2) I was actually planning to put Tadbeer se bigdi hui and Mud mud ke na dekh as examples of seduction too, albeit with a different connotation. Then I dropped the idea. So glad you posted it here.
    3) Sadhu did suggest Ye kaisi ajab dastan but I dropped that for the more 'obvious' choices. :)

    Thank you for adding to the post - these are all such beautiful songs.

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  27. Testing if this comment gets posted, Anu. Please excuse me and delete.

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  28. Yes, I did read the first few sentences of your comment on Yves's blog. But my brain was close to shutting down by that time (have just finished writing a fairly complex story), so I left it for later. Will go and read today. :-)

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  29. Lag ja gale and na jao saiyaan (the latter more so) yes! Love your compilation :) Also aiyee meherban (Howrah bridge) and aao huzur tumko (Kismat) Very sensuous me thinks!
    And,jo bhi chahiye kahiye does sound more like she's crushing on him haha! I have thought of that so many times!

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  30. And oh yes! Ye sama, sama hai ye pyaar ka (jab jab phool khile) Loooove it. :D

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  31. Though I could never be seduced(!) to write such lucid and well-researched posts, Anuji has indeed scored quite brillianttly in this one - with the kind of three constraints in place I would not be able to go beyond Raat Akeli Hai and Na Jaao Saiyan! Of course, Aa Jaa Re Aa zara Aa is an icing on a cake for me, as it is one of my 'most' favoured Rafi songs. The irony is that such 'great' songs were not easily availbale for listening on the radio in our times - 60s and 70s, becsue these songs can not, obviuously, be popular [normance].
    Thanks to internet and You Tube, we have access to such songs, and in so befitting manner as is done in th epresent post.

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  32. Hi, Neha, long time no see - welcome back :) I love Ye sama but I think it would fit better in the previous post. There isn't anyone there that she is seducing.... :)

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  33. Thank, Neha. Aao huzoor tumko is a very seductive song, but when it's heard. If you look at the picturisation, there is more of a nightclub feel to it, and I had eschewed the 'collective seduction' songs. :D

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  34. Ashokji, thank you so much for such whole-hearted appreciation. :) Aa jaa re aa zara is one of my favourite Rafi numbers, sung only as he could sing it!

    It is interesting that you should say that you couldn't hear these songs over the radio - was it because they were not popular, or was it because the moral police decided they couldn't broadcast such 'dirty' songs that would lead the youth astray? What do you think?

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  35. *Ears perking up* New story? When are we going to see that?? :)

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  36. One most available platform was All India Radio, where the songs that have been included here would be classified as "bhajans(!) - thier qualifications criteria were certainly no better than the ones that you chose to impose upon yourself.
    Another substantive platform was Radio Ceylon - which indeed catered to a much wider range of choices and tastes. They had special programs to address songs that were indeed great , but would not be 'asked' for on the popularity plank.
    Among AIR, thier URDU channel [This is best I recollect as its ID] which proferred a richer bouquets even in its reader's choice programs.
    The program directors , of the particualr stations of AIR or those of different programs of Vividh Bharati did contribute thier might [ or lack of it], based on the depth and range of thier own choices. Radio Ceylon was known for a 'class' team of prgram directors in that era.

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  37. Thank you for coming back to answer my query. I have very, very fond memories of Radio Ceylon growing up. Certainly, the songs they played were often much better than the 'popular' numbers of the era. Of course, I would not have paid attention to the genre, not knowing much more than just listening to the songs that my father chose to hear.

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  38. Jaya Bahadur as seductress ! No way ! She doesn't have the looks .

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  39. True. Which is why I wrote: Probably the most unlikely seductress in the history of Hindi cinema. :)

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  40. A sequel to the sensuous post, eh :)
    I won't repeat what others have written, only second it :)

    This clip from the 1964 film Shehnai should fit the post, I think, there's no song though.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJkW85qO19o

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  41. Yes, it seemed like natural progression. :) That clip is classic seduction, alright. Doesn't it look like a stage show, though? I haven't seen Shehnai...

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  42. Yes, it is a stage show - one of those 'college' functions IIRC or even a charity show.

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  43. Aah. Then it doesn't count as a 'seduction' - it's all fake. (As if all the others are all 'real'! But you know what I mean.... LOL)

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  44. When I heard the lyrics, I was rather surprised at the rather direct demands; especially since Lata is generally known to have balked at anything not lily-white in tenor. The video I think rules it out from your list, but a very fine song nonetheless


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=misSDEtr8uU


    I dislike RK, but I thought the heroine tried rather gamely in


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9_lhdEW44A




    Enjoyable post ... n comments.

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  45. Wow! That was a completely new song for me. Which film? Who is the music director? And who is it picturised on? I'm surprised too, considering she balked at singing your other choice, and when RK insisted, recorded the song but didn't speak to RK until LP brought her back into the RK fold with Bobby!

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  46. Lata has sung a song in Marathi which is as explicit as you can make it and very sensuous. This song written by Suresh Bhatt and composed by Hridayanath is a musical treasure and is beautifully sung. The lyrics are really very beautiful.
    This version on youtube has a translation for those who do not understand Marathi. I could quibble a little bit on the translation here and there but it is adequate.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIf3Gr9yo14

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  47. I'm a little confused. Which song is being talked about here? Is it rasme ulfat? This song is from a 1973 film called Dil Ki Raahein. I can't believe it was translated from Marathi (that's where my confusion lies).
    The music director was Madan Mohan, and lyrics by Naqsh Layal Puri.
    Couldn't find a clip, but here's Lata singing it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IyJZa0tThI

    I found someone else singing it, and has done a great job.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goV_m_uoF9o&feature=related

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  48. Hahaha!
    But then all those songs trying to seduce the villain for information are also not real, but Faked.
    The heroine is not really trying to seduce. :-D

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  49. Ah the mysteries of cut and paste ... This is the one that I meant...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPIhtkiaIw



    This thing doesn't allow you to edit your posts I guess.

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  50. Haha!
    But then all those songs trying to seduce the villain for information are also not real, but Faked.
    The heroine is not really trying to seduce. :-D

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  51. pacifist, I can't blame you for your confusion. It was the wrong link. :) The correct one has been pasted below.

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  52. The other songs 'seducing' the villains - well, at least the villains believe they are being seduced. In the stage show, no one, not even the seducee (is there such a word) believes he is being seduced.

    Of course, it is all a matter of degrees of fakery. :)

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  53. Great song, and yes, very, very explicit. I wish the translation was a bit better, though. Maybe I should ask Harvey if he can do a better job. :)

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  54. I see :-)
    I don't find the lyrics very explicit. In English, translated lyrics seem very different in depth and nuance.
    This lack of nuance normally give the lyrics a plain, explicit meaning.
    Of course if it sounds explicit even in marathi then it's another matter. I wouldn't know that since I don't know marathi :-)

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  55. While talking about a song with a very obvious and direct lyrics, this song does demand a listening(can`t say viewing because it always makes me laugh).
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrQfzAns18o

    And yes there is no man being seduced here,but the seduction in this song is so obvious and the sensuousness is palpable.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_0FpVM8Fs&feature=related

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  56. lovehindicinema2 July 2012 at 04:29

    A very nice collection and thanks for including Lag Ja Gale...such a plain looking seduction song..
    All the songs have two characteres...any seductive song with just one? like..Padma Khanna singing...Sajna hei mujhe Sajna ke Liye...Har ang ka rang nikhar lu...
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFnFwW5KZkY

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  57. Yes, the picturisation of the first song was rather a hoot! :) The second song actually created quite a controversy when the film released, for its home-erotic overtones.

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  58. I think I would Sajna hai mujhe into the 'sensuous' songs category, because she is not seducing anyone. it's more an expression of her own sexuality, and it's very innocently done. Beautiful song too.

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  59. Pacifist, that depends on who is doing the translating, you will know that to translate poetry you need to have equal felicity in both languages, understand nuances and most importantly, feel, how the language is used to convey an expression, a thought. In this case the explicitness that I mentioned was in response to Lata's shy violet personae that AKM mentioned. Now the translation that accompanies this poem is adequate but it does not convey the Marathi expressions well. Even using the incorrect tense makes a big difference.

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  60. Oh Anu! Thankyouthankyou the last song on your list reminded me that I needed to watch Jaal. I was thinking about it last night and I kept thinking... damn... I want to watch a movie, but which one was it?!

    Then you know what. I somehow ended up watching Return of Jewel Thief. Really. I don't know what goes on in my brain. Now we can just say that I am traumatized from the experience. The music made me want to vomit. I'd write a review and explain the horrors, but... I'm too traumatized. Argh.

    BUT ANYWAY. On to happier things! :D :D :D "Was I the only person who, watching Jewel Thief, wanted Dev to end up with Tanuja?" Yes, yes, yes you were the only person! Maybe you would be happy to know that in the sequel, Shalu inexplicably disappears and someone tries to seduce Dev and I'm holding a basin because I'm ready to throw up any moment.

    But nice list! I love "Aaja Re Aa" because Joy Mukherjee is attractive! Really! That day we were off buying gifts for Father's Day and we went to the men's section, and oh wow! Beautiful, they had coats and shirts! Also some pants that looked a lot like Dev's. Really. I felt like picking one pair up and buying it. Then guess what? I saw this plastic model (Another confession, when I was a kid I used to shake the hands of every model I used to see!) and it had a shirt just like Joy's. It was yellowish, but it was a printed shirt all right! And then I just blurted out, "It's Joy's shirt!" But no one got it for me... :(

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  61. Return of Jewel Thief??? My dear girl, now I am traumatised! I can't even gasp 'Why? Whaa...t?' at you. :( And instead of Jaal! *Tottering off to die*

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  62. Why is everyone dying over these movies and their heroes? Become a cynic like me.

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  63. LOL, Lalitha, however jaded I might be, I still swoon over DASS (Dev Anand Shwet-Shyam) and I would happily dig my own grave if I had to ever watch him in the atrocities he inflicted regularly on an unsuspecting public later.

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  64. I dunno what got into me! :( And I've probably suffered permanent brain damage! -follows you to go die-

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  65. Nooooo! Lalitha, cynicsm is no fun! Then you can't get up and yell at the TV, you can't melt into a puddle when your favorite hero looks awesomely handsome, you can't get the heck out of there when something bad is going to happen, and... cynicsm is just no fun!

    And if you're a cynic, you can't get all excited in Tokyo because of Love in Tokyo! (Happened to me when we stopped over! :D I was singing Love in Tokyo songs all the way!

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  66. Which makes me wonder what the hell he was thinking! Oh my God.

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  67. You die too many times - it takes away the impact. :)

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  68. For a really, really intelligent man, he could be immensely blinded by his own awesomeness.

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  69. Argh! :P

    So what do you suggest? Fainting instead?

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  70. Then I wish I could go up to him and tell him to please please please please please please stop it! :(

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  71. Others, more effective than you would be have tried. :) There is no one more blind than one who refuses to see.

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  72. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

    I just saw the video of "O Sanam Tere Ho Gaye Hum" for the first time. I love the song, heehee! And I was happy that it was Rajendra's. But oh my God, his dancing is... no... no... no...

    Worse than Dev's. I mean. What. I don't even. I. I think. My blood's frozen. Completely.

    BUT HEY, IT WAS KINDA FUNNY AND CUTE. Alright, back to normal. (Sorry, had to share. :D :D I also bashed the hell out of someone who thought he was very smart. All these idiots hiding behind their computer screens and insulting the legends. Hmph.)

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  73. Uh. Now I'm kind of... dancing... too... what the...

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  74. OH SHIZZZZZZZZZZ. SOMEONE'S THERE WITH A GUN?! DARN IT. -DIVES BEHIND COUCH- T_____________T

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  75. And Saira Banu chose RK over Dharmendra? :0

    Also, may I give you a piece of (gratuitous) advice? When you 'bash' someone for expressing their opinion, what is the difference between them and you? You *can* disagree with what they say, you *can* call them out for being 'insulting' - all without resorting to rudeness yourself. No?

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  76. I do not know if you are being serious, but at the risk of sounding like a Cassandra - there crazy people there, who would be willing to trace you in real life and make your life a misery. Just go easy on personal details on the 'Net, will you?

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  77. Yeah... I still... o_o" But now I'm probably gonna be up all night trying to copy his dance. Yes. I am crazy. xD But it's so darn funny and cute at the same time! Oh gosh. :D :D

    Yeah, my uncle just told me the same thing. I think that guy's probably jealous that Rajendra gets to romance Saira and he doesn't! Hmph! I'm jealous of the heroines but I don't go around and insult them, do I?! Anyway I'll just go let them rot in hell while I see things that they can't see, like... like how cute Rajendra is! Yes! :D :D

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  78. What? Who's Cassandra? I was referring to the gun thing at the end of the song, oh gosh. And I've seen enough Hindi films to know that anyone who comes with a weapon to interrupt a duet is after the boy and not the girl.

    SO THAT MEANS THE GUY'S OUT TO GET RAJENDRA. ARRGHGHGHGHGHG -runs around in circles-

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  79. Youngsters today really don't have a classical education, do they? You make me feel very, very, old. Google 'Cassandra', my dear. (At least, use technology for some good, instead of to insult people over the 'Net.) :)

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  80. Really? I never learned about that! Thanks! -now goes back to corner and continues listening to songs-

    You know Anu, what I want to do? I want to try two things - bhang and Darjeeling tea! Bhang will be a lot of fun, since sugar can keep me up till 4am (And hey, I sorta can copy Rajendra's dance now! -giggles-), bhang will... wow! :D :D :D If bhang can make Rajesh Khanna sing "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar", then bhang can make me do all sorts of things! -giggling-

    And Darjeeling tea! I love Darjeeling! The railway! <3333 My favorite songs are all filmed there! And the tea! I must try it! Heeeheeeheeeeeeeeee!

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  81. Oh, but I have had my share of getting excited when I was in my teens and twenties, well, at least, the early twenties! And I still yell at the screen when the characters act like total idiots and love it when the guy looks good enough to eat (but I do this when the hubby is not around - don't want him to think I am losing my marbles!), but I return to my old, cynical self when the scene is over, and I can return to my cooking or my book calmly without missing a beat! Cynicism has its uses, after all!

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  82. Child, child... bhang is an intoxicant. You are already like this, I shudder to think of what you would do if you imbibed.

    Yes, please do stick to tea. Good Darjeeling tea. And get tea leaves, if possible, not the dust.

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  83. I know, that'd be the fun paaaaart! :D I must go to India during Holi and just have fun and drink a lot of bhang. (thinks to self) I think Dustedoff can help if I get too drunk!

    Caffiene doesn't work for me though! I tried Starbucks and it made me fall asleep. Oh well. I really want to try Darjeeling tea! Heeheeheeeeeeee! :D :D And what do you do with the tea leaves? Stick it in the tea or what? I dunno anything about tea. :P

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  84. chitrapatsangeet8 July 2012 at 19:39

    Anu,
    Great selection!
    One song which I love, music inevitably by Ravi, Sahir shines here too!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcnUynR-D1E

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  85. chitrapatsangeet8 July 2012 at 19:42

    And this-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmw9NgluAlw&feature=fvsr

    Guru Dutt seducing Mala Sinha.

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  86. Thanks, Karthik. This is a completely new song (to me), and it fits in very well (though the thought of Manoj Kumar as the seducer is a bit hard to stomach). :)

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  87. Yes, someone just posted it in the comments below, and I was wondering why Mala Sinha was crying! I mean, that's the last thing you expect the woman to do in the circumstance, no?

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  88. Chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 01:45

    Very strange, but there may have been a reason. Leela Chitnis also imploring to the Lord to help Mala.

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  89. chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 10:15

    As a man, I cant think of Manoj Kumar as a seducer, I can very well understand where you are coming from :)

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  90. chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 10:16

    Ravi, in his interview, used this song as an example to say why his music suited Rafi more than Kishore.

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  91. chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 10:22

    Rehman and Mala Sinha-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2zllq-DBvU

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  92. Oh, pacifist explained. :) Apparently, if the marriage is consummated, he will die (some heart ailment or the other). They have told her, but not him. (No, don't ask me the logic!) But it is such a beautiful song.

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  93. Lovely! Rafisaab at his most sensuous! I would put this into my earlier post! Thanks a tonne, Karthik!

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  94. chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 17:00

    Again, Mahendra! :)

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  95. chitrapatsangeet9 July 2012 at 17:23

    This is a brilliant selection by SSW! I really liked it.
    I was hunting for this for quite sometime, ever since I heard a singer sing in TVS SarReGaMa several years back. Since I dont know Marathi, I am relying on the translation.
    There is a story behind Mehdi Hassan's "Ab Ke Hum Bichde", which sounds similar, but the tune came about due to a reason. I will reserve that for later!

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  96. *Pulling hair out, one by one* I must be more tired today than I thought! But it is still a good song, and Mahendra Kapoor has sung it very, very well...

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  97. chitrapatsangeet10 July 2012 at 08:12

    You are going to boot me out of your blog (to steal your usage :-)
    This is the worst that can happen to a lady. My fullest sympathies are with Meena Kumari. Great lyrics by Sahir.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce2Fzj7RxE4

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  98. -shudders- Cynicism or cannabalism? But anyway, if you're a cynic you can't dance around in the school and go "Yaaaaahooooooo!" at your friends, can you? And you can't dive behind a couch when someone interrupts a duet with a gun, you can't hide in your room at the climax of Suraj (I still haven't gotten through it. Just finished the last song and then told myself, "This is getting bad. Let's get out of here."), you can't have a huge spaz at the shock thing in Jewel Thief (My friends still poke fun at me for that, pfffft), and you can't do fun things!

    Like... like yelling at Dev to stop stalking in Kala Bazaar. Really!

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  99. LOL. What alovely song, though! One of Rafisaab's best (and this it is Rafisaab!

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  100. P.S. Anu, sorry if I offended you or something over at my blog. I took the post down cos I just want to forget about the whole thing and just... argh.

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  101. No, you didn't offend me. Why would you think so?

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  102. ps: Nobody gets booted out of my blog for posting such great songs! (Not even when they are pointing out that I cannot recognise one singer from another!) :)

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  103. chitrapatsangeet10 July 2012 at 09:53

    SSW, does this translation do justice?
    http://pallavees.blogspot.sg/2007/08/malavun-taka-deep.html

    I have heard this song about 20 times today :)

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  104. Hi
    No it doesn't and she herself (pallavee) has said that. There are little nuances that do not come out when you translate it like that. And of course it is open to interpretation. For example the first two lines,
    Maalavun taak deep
    Chetavun anga anga
    is something like
    Dim the glow of the lamp
    kindling the fire within our bodies..
    It is like saying that one is more incandescent than the other.
    And then again Lata's singing and the Hridayanath's melody adds something else to the song. I think that is a surbahar in the interludes. I am told this is supposed to be Mangal Bhairav though there is not much use of the Madhyam. Mehdi Hasan's ghazal sort of uses the same notes but it seems to be Bhoopali with both dhaivats. This version has one of my favourite singers Arati Ankalikar singing it though I must say I prefer Lata in the higher registers in this song. Hridayanath is playing the harmonium.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAoi2sV7V5Y

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  105. I dunno, you just sounded kinda angry I guess...

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  106. Not angry; just frustrated. Sorry.

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  107. its very
    nice post thanks for interesting knowledge    

    ReplyDelete

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