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28 August 2013

My Favourites: Songs of Praise

The blog is 2

On the first of this month, the blog weathered another year. Well, the anniversary came and went, and I did precious little about it. I had had so many posts planned for the summer months, apart from the obligatory pat-myself-on-the-back-for-completing-another-year one that I intended - a month-long tribute to Meena Kumari, whose birthday it was at the beginning of August, another post commemorating our Independence Day, a few lists... I just didn't get around to writing any of them. Not even a tribute to Pran, even though I had planned a post on him under 'The Greats' series months before.

But it's also been a strange two months. Rather uncharacteristically for me, there was a definite lack of interest in blogging. Was it some personal angst, or the onset of summer holidays which meant the kids were home (which meant my routine was shot to pieces), or that work suddenly became even more hectic, or even that young A dropped my laptop and I lost the dozens of lists and hundreds of screenshots and song images that I had meticulously filed away? Or that I hadn't been able to muster up enough interest to watch many movies anyway (blasphemous, I know)?  I truly cannot say.

I've had to push myself into blogging again and, almost two months after my last post, here I am again.

In honour of the (belated) second anniversary of the blog, I had decided to do something more than just write a post. I must confess that it was Dustedoff changing her template a few months before that inspired me to change mine.

Deciding to make changes was one thing; doing it was another. Blogger has precious few choices when it comes to templates. It was all quite dispiriting. Much heartburn ensued, since I had customised the original template to my satisfaction, googling hacks to make Blogger behave the way I want it to. Much muted swearing also ensued when I would suddenly lose one set of changes when I made another. Finally, I got it, somewhat, to be... this!

But the change is only cosmetic. The blog remains the same. (Whether that is good or bad, I leave it to my readers to judge.) I do look back with some pride at my journey from desultorily uploading old articles of mine to the number and variety of posts, from the various themed lists to reviews of films, Hindi, regional and international.

I look upon the traffic my blog generates with not a small amount of gratitude - there are many who stop by, read and encourage me with their comments. They have introduced me to 'new' films, 'new' old songs, they have commended me, corrected me and been forgiving of my errors, they have taught me much. They have become online friends, I have met a couple and broken bread with them, and somewhere, somehow, we share a bond.

There are many more who stop and read and go away to come back to read some more. Anonymous they may be, but that they give their time to read what I write is rewarding and encouraging.

I would not have kept blogging if it were not for you, my readers.This journey would not have been possible without you. This blog would not be what it is without you.

To all of you, I say a heartfelt 'Thank you'.

Last year, I celebrated the anniversary of my blog by writing a post on a list requested by one of my readers. This year, I fulfil another request from a reader - to do a list on what she called 'comparison songs'.  We were discussing Annie's Song at the time and I laughingly pointed out that this was the era when  'You are my chicken fry' is a lyricist's idea of describing a woman. That was the point, she retorted. Isn't it time we remembered those songs that did liken a woman to more than a poultry dish?  Too true. And so, here, Aparna, just for you, aap ki farmaish...

1. Ye chand sa roshan chehra (Kashmir ki Kali / 1964 ) Mohammed Rafi / OP Nayyar-SH Bihari
How could I not begin with Shammi Kapoor? This was the era in which he epitomised romance, wooing his heroines in his own inimitable style. From his many songs, this one stands out for its lyrics comparing the blushing heroine's face to the glowing moon, her hair to spun gold (a bit odd, that), her eyes to the blue waters of the lake... A fresh-faced Sharmila, an exuberant Shammi, the magic of Mohammed Rafi's voice and OP Nayyar's pulsating music complemented by the beautiful locale and some complicated manoeuvring from the shikara boatmen made this song stand out amidst a melodious score that boasted of some really catchy numbers.

Shammi Kapoor once recounted an interesting story of how the song turned out the way it did.  By this time, he shared a close relationship with Mohammed Rafi and he suggested that the lines Tareef kraoon kya uski...  were repeated at the end of the song. OP Nayyar brushed the suggestion off  since he felt the song would be unnecessarily lengthened, but an obstinate Shammi persuaded Rafi to plead his case.

The gentle singer told the maverick music director that he would repeat the lines as Shammi had wanted, but if OP Nayyar did not approve of the final offering, he would re-record the song as it was originally scored. Nayyar reluctantly consented, and Mohammed Rafi recorded the song as Shammi Kapoor had suggested, with the line repeated and the word tareef enunciated differently in each line. When OP Nayyar heard the recording, he hugged Shammi and admitted that the repetition of the lines added a certain edge to the original composition.

2. Ab kya misaal doon (Arti/1962) Mohammed Rafi / Roshan-Majrooh Sultanpuri)
How do I compare thee? he asks, and then proceeds to do so quite eloquently. Majrooh Sultanpuri's poetry likens the beloved to the personification of the moon's rays, her face absorbing the golden glow of moonlight, her eyes reflecting the dark intoxication of the night, her neck like the drooping branches of a rose bush... Mohammed Rafi's liquid voice caresses the notes as Pradeep Kumar sings onscreen paeans to Meena Kumari's loveliness and ends with
Tasveer ho tumhi mere jannat ke 
Jannat ke khwaab ki
Ab kya misaal doon main tumhaare shabaab ki...
 

3. Jo baat tujh mein hain (Taj Mahal/1963) Mohammed Rafi / Roshan-Sahir Ludhianvi
Aah... talk about timeless classics, and this painter's lament that his painting does not do justice to its subject will surely be counted amongst them. An ode to eternal love, Taj Mahal was the story of Shehzada Khurram and Arjuman Banu, the latter becoming enshrined forever in popular imagination as Mallika-e-Alam Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the besotted emperor built the Taj Mahal. Roshan's score for this love story of an emperor and his queen was complemented by Sahir Ludhianvi at his romantic best. Mohammed Rafi sings for Pradeep Kumar as Emperor Shah Jehan as he decries his inability to express his beloved Mumtaz's beauty in painting or in verse
Rangon mein tera aks dhala tu na dhal saki
Saanson ki aanch jism ki khushboo na dhal saki
Tujh mein jo loch hai meri tehreer mein nahin
Jo baat tujh mein hai, meri tasveer mein nahin

4. Chandan sa badan (Saraswatichandra /1968) Mukesh/Kalyanji-Anandji-Indeewar
A Mukesh solo in what seems to have turned into a Mohammed Rafi monopoly, this song from Saraswatichandra was composed by Kalyanji-Anandji, with lyrics by Indeewar. Unlike the previous songs that simply complimented the beloved's beauty, this song expresses the singer's reaction as well. He simply cannot be blamed for being maddened by her beauty.
Pehle bhi bahut tarsa hoon
Tu aur na mujhko tarsaana
Mujhe dosh na dena jagwaalon
Ho jaaoon agar mein deewana

5.  Aap ke haseen rukh (Bahaarein Phir Bhi Aayegi/1966) Mohammed Rafi/OP Nayyar-Anjaan
The problem with singing songs that praise your beloved is you need to ensure she is the only woman around, or at least you are making it very clear that you are singing to one particular woman. In another of those songs where the singer claims that he cannot be faulted if his heart sways (due to her beauty, of course), Dharmendra's character serenades his lady love (Tanuja), who heartily reciprocates his sentiments; only, her elder sister is equally smitten, and assumes, mistakenly of course, that he is referring to her when he sings
Jahan jahan pade kadam wahan fiza badal gayi
Ke jaise sar-basar bahaar aap hi mein dhal gayi
Kisi mein ye kashish kahan jo aap mein huzoor hain
Mera dil machal gaya toh mera kya qasoor hain?
Mohammed Rafi's vocals caress the notes to bring us a quintessential love ballad that still evokes goose-bumps (especially when you remember Dharmendra on screen).

6. Mere mehboob mein kya nahin (Mere Mehboob/1963) Lata Mangeshkar-Asha Bhosle/Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni
For a change, the women are describing their beloved in glowing terms, each trying to out-do the other. In a film where the hero falls in love with a pair of eyes peeping out of the naqab and a fair hand stretching out from under the burqa, it is not incomprehensible that two women, best of friends, have fallen in love, and are indeed, unbeknownst to each other, describing the same man in the most complimentary terms. If one says her  mehboob is ek chaand hai, husn apna nikhaare huye,  the other avers that her beloved is aasman ka farishta hai woh, roop insaan ka dhaare huye, for after all, Mere mehboob mein kya nahin?

Which is all very well, but they are describing Rajendra Kumar!

7. Yun toh humne lakh haseen dekhe hain (Tumsa Nahin Dekha/) Mohammed Rafi/OP Nayyar- Sahir Ludhianvi
  
This must have been the first film made to launch a heroine (Ameeta), which propelled its hero (Shammi Kapoor) to stardom instead. One of Shammi Kapoor's patent tease-and-stalk-until-she-relents songs, he begins with Yun toh humne laakh haseen dekhe hai, tumsa nahin dekha (I have seen many beautiful women, but none as beautiful as you) and proceeds to sing two antaras in praise of her beauty 
Uff ye nazar, uff ye ada, kaun na ab hoga fida, 
zulfein hain ya badliyaan, aankhein hain ya bijliyaan, jaane kis kis ki aayegi qazaa until he realises that she is not very enamoured of him. 

His praise turns into a moral lesson:
Tum na agar bologe sanam
Mar toh nahin jaayenge hum
Kya pari kya hoor ho,
Itne kyun magroor ho
Maan ke toh dekho kabhi kisi ka kaha
Lovely, lovely song, but I was pleased to see that Ameeta doesn't relent. At least, not then.

8. Teri pyari pyari soorat ko (Sasural/1962) Mohammed Rafi/Shankar-Jaikishen-Hasrat Jaipuri
This is an unusual song for this list in that it does not overtly compare the beloved's beauty to the moon or the stars or the sun. Instead, they envy her (Dekhkar tera roop salona, chaand bhi sar ko jhukaata hain) and he exhorts her to keep her beauty covered. She is not safe from his gaze either, he claims... Mukhde ko chhupa lo aanchal mein, kahin meri nazar na lage, chashm-e-buddoor... In fact, Dekha na karo tum aaina, kahin khud ki nazar na lage...

It's rather endearing, this concern, and thank heavens it is not the usual eve-teasing-under-the-guise-of-wooing song; the two are in love after all. 

9. Ek ladki ko dekha toh (1942 A Love Story/1994) Kumar Sanu/RD Burman-Javed Akhtar
I know this transcends my usual time frame for my selection of songs, but this was RD Burman rising from the ashes to compose tunes that sounded like they belonged to the 50s or 60s. In an era where songs sounded like gunshots, the score of 1942 A Love Story came as a breath of fresh air. In any case, the song fits the theme like a glove. Or perhaps I had just come through a decade of Kya gaadi hai kya number hai Kya body hai kya bumper hai but hearing the lady he loves described as
Jaise khilta gulaab
Jaise shaayar ka khwaab
Jaise ujli kiran
Jaise ban mein hiran
Jaise chaandni raat
Jaise narmi ki baat
Jaise mandir mein ho ek jalta diya... was rather refreshing.

10. Chaudvin ka chand ho (Chaudvin ka Chand/1961) Mohammed Rafi/Ravi-Shakeel Badayuni
Chaudvin ka chaand ho ya aftaab ho
Jo bhi ho tum khuda ki kasam lajawaab ho  
This is probably the best of all the comparison songs. Apart from the very complimentary comparisons, there is an element of adoration, of respect, of awe (almost) that is implicit in Mohammed Rafi's rendition and Guru Dutt's enactment of it on screen as he watches his beloved sleeping. Waheeda's ethereal sensuousness deserved every bit of praise that the lyricist lavished on her.

As I leave you with
Chehra hai jaise jheel mein hansta hua kamal
Ya zindagi ke saaz pe chhedi huyi ghazal
Jaan-e-bahaar tum kisi shaayar ka khwaab ho...   

Tell me, which are your favourite songs of comparison or praise?

117 comments:

  1. Oh, Anu. What a lovely way to make a comeback, celebrate a birthday, and show that despite losing so much work (poor you!), you're still on top of it. I loved this post, and like all the songs you've listed. LOL about "Which is all very well, but they are describing Rajendra Kumar!" Hehe. I agree completely. :-)

    Here's another one (a little bit in the same vein as Aapke haseen rukh pe, since two women are thinking our hero's singing for them). Khwaab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPxlBS5wOZA

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    1. Thank you, Madhu. It's been a long and unexpected hiatus. Losing all the reference material was just the last straw. I think I just threw up my hands at that point. After that, I didn't seem to have the time or the energy either to write a post.

      Poor Rajendra Kumar! He does get a bashing most times, doesn't he? I'm trying to think of films where I could say 'He wasn't that bad!' :)

      Khwab ho tum is, as you say, somewhat in a similar vein as Aap ke haseen rukh but it doesn't fit the theme, no? I mean, apart from the Khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat, there is no direct comparison to anything...

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    2. ""there is no direct comparison to anything..."

      "Subah pe jis tarah shaam ka ho gumaa, zulfon mein ik chehra kuchh zaahir kuchh nihaa"

      and "aur dil pe laharaai, aanchal ki chhaao si"

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    3. ...but of course, if (as you mention below), the point was that 3/4 of the song should be about comparisons, then that wouldn't work.

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    4. Yeah, I was thinking more in terms of the gooey songs where, (atleast in the first flush of love) one person, usually the hero, is waxing eloquent about the heroine's looks/gait...so more on the lines of Yeh chand sa roshan chehra than Yeh nigahein mastana.

      I have the lines so clearly drawn in my mind, but don't seem to have made it clear in my post. :)

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    5. Perhaps I should change the title of the post to Songs of Comparison.

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  2. Certainly dominated by Mohammed Rafi.:) A very happy 2nd to you. And you had a lot of reasons to keep away from blogging. But glad you are back. This template is nice, easy on the eye, easy to read.

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    1. Thanks, Banno. Spend some time hacking into the code to make it behave the way I wanted. :)

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  3. Welcome back Anu! Congratulations on your blog’s 2nd anniversary. Wish you all the best for the future may you have more such anniversaries. I love the new look particularly the cup of tea at the corner, it sort of gives it an edge.
    I really like this theme, in fact the song writers in the past wrote some beautiful lyrics when describing our heroines. I feel some of the best songs are these songs, the only problem was when the heroine’s looks did not exactly match the lyrics, then believe me the film reviewers and people in the industry had a field day passing, what I felt, were some rather uncharitable remarks. It really did happen with one of the songs you have listed above. I will rather not identify the song, I know I am being diplomatic but I would rather not hurt another person’s fealings or tread on someone’s toes. I can of course narrate what happened, you see the tune of this song was used in another film starring Waheeda Rehman. The camera focused on her feet as the tune played in the background. People in the industry and in the press remarked that Waheeda’s feet are far more beautiful than the face of the heroine for whom the lyrics was written. Mean comment I guess, but that was how it was.
    Now I would like to post one of my favourite songs which is Jeevan Se Teri Aankhen I particularly like the line kirnon ka hai tej chere pe hirno ki hai tujh mein chanchalta


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    1. Oops! that should read Jeevan Se Bhari Teri Aankhen Shilpi

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    2. Now this is getting funny, now it looks like Shilpi is part of the lyrics but I guess you get the message.

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    3. Thank you so much, Shilpi. Changing the template involved long hours of experimenting and lots of swearing (muted because there is a sharp-eared kid around).

      Now you have me very, very curious about which song and heroine you are referring to! Poor woman, that must have been very hurtful. And Waheeda was so, so beautiful anyway.

      Laughing at Jeevan se bhari teri aankhein Shilpi... It is such a poignant song, especially given the context in the film. Let me post the link here...
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnqKxDr7TPA

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  4. Welcome back, dear Anu! You were missed!
    just yesterday I thought of sending you an email.

    Great way for a comeback!
    Love all of the songs here, except maybe chandan sa badan, but I think that is Mukesh!

    Did you notice there are 21 different similies in ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga.
    There is an anecdote about how Javed wrote the lyrics, but can't recollect it properly now.

    Since male pulchritude gets less scope in Hindi film songs, here are two such songs.
    hansta hua noorani chehra from Parasmani
    http://youtu.be/5KkkDRCj3l8

    and

    ham tere bina jee na
    http://youtu.be/LEqWMyTpk2I

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    1. Thank you, dear Harvey. It is good to be back.

      Laughing at the reason for your dislike of Chandan sa badan. That is actually one of the songs that I do not like to watch, but I love the lyrics and the composition.

      And since I like you very much, Harvey, it pains me to say that neither of your choices fit the theme. :( At least in Hansta hua noorani chehra the mukhda does have some comparisons but the rest of the song is how they want him to love them or something like that. The second song doesn't even have that. But they are both such lovely songs... and it is always a pleasure to watch Helen. :) :)

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    2. they don't? well, its your choice.
      Only the last stanza in the first song is not about praising but the first stanza is.
      The second song does have lines like saari duniya aisa shabab nahin hai and so on.
      But your blog, your decision!

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    3. Ouch! Sorry. I wasn't being mean. :( I was looking at the theme as being overtly about comparisons; at least three-quarters of the songs had to have them. Which is why I even dropped Yeh aankhein uff yumma from my list.

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  5. Newcomer here!(Hi!) Came across your blog from Brangan's blog.
    Loved the list. Glad to see Aapke Haseen Rukh. It once got stuck in my head and I was singing it in traffic on my two-wheeler.
    Thank God for the helmet rule! Surprised there is no Kishore in this list.
    My other fav would be Jeevan se bhari teri aankhen from Safar, with lines like majboor kare jeene ke liye coming from someone who's terminally ill.

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    1. Hi, and welcome. Laughing at the vision of you singing Aap ke haseen rukh in traffic. But I can understand - I have had songs (not even good songs like the above!) stuck in my head for ages.

      I didn't set out to make it a Mohammed Rafi monopoly, believe me. It just happened to be that way. I agree with you about Jeevan se bhari. Shilpi posted it above and I mentioned how poignant I found the song given its context.

      Thanks for visiting, and commenting.

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    2. you weren't being mean, Anu! :)

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    3. You're sweet, Harvey. :) Thank you.

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  6. Lovely songs here Anu. I love them all.

    Here is my contribution

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDIwQk0rKMM

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  7. Thanks, Ava. :) And perfect contribution - such a peppy song, no? Even if he seems to be describing so many diferent women before coming to his beloved.

    And a beautiful, effervescent Sadhana. She was incredibly graceful in this which makes me wonder where that grace went later.

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  8. First of all congrats on your blog’s 2nd anniversary! A flawless list indeed! Each of the songs in the list is a favorite of mine.I recall a song from Dharti "khuda bhi aasman se jaab"
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axsa_GZuMvc

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  9. Thank you, coolone. For both your wishes and your compliment. :)

    Aargh, I hacked this template so it would change the urls into an actual video - why didn't it do that with your link??

    Let me see if this link works...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VltauW97Z2Y

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  10. Welcome back Anu, and happy second anniversary to the blog. You made us wait for this one, I almost sang 'Aawaz de kahan hai!'

    I think there is a reason for Rafi's domination in this list. He was arguably the best singer to bring out the nuances of the lyrics, and lyrics are of prime importance in this list. With most other singers the listener's focus would shift to the voice (Hemant) or to vocal skill (Manna Dey). The only other singer who could come close was Talat. In fact the song 'Jo baat tujhme hai' reminds me of Talat's 'Tasveer teri dil mera behla na sakegi; yeh teri tarah mujhse to sharma na sakegi.'

    I am also reminded of one of my top favourite post eighties song 'Tum ko dekha to khayal aya, zindagi dhoop tum ghana saya.' Jagjit's singing has the same strength of drawing attention to the lyrics.

    I am sure there are many other excellent songs on this theme. The ones you have selected are among the best. Would be looking forward to more in comments, and maybe add one or two of my own later.

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    1. Thank you, Subodh. Now you make me think that I should have waited to hear your rendition of Aawaz de kahan hai... :) Please do so even though I have returned. I'm sure others will be interested too.

      I'm glad you liked the songs on the list. I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions.

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  11. Thank you for this post and I must confess very shamefacedly (not sure if there a word like that !) that I am one of those readers who love to read your blog regularly but does not comment. To my defence, I read your blog in the office and keep thinking that I will comment when I go back home, but it invariably slips my mind. But I really must say that I love your blog so, please keep writing :)

    Wonderful list with some really b'ful songs and Chaudvin ka Chaand to me is the quintesseintal song for this theme. Some other songs that I could think of that could fit :

    Maine Pucha Chaand Se http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnywvI8SHV8
    Roop Yeh Tera Jis Ne Banaya Woh www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ly-CPtRy2I
    Teri Ankhon ke Siva Duniya Mein...though the mention is only about the eyes
    And does Chehera hain ya chaand khila hai from Saagar fit? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-2sfiRQFwQ

    Another Aparna :)

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    1. Thank you for visiting, Aparna, and for commenting, this time. :) There is no need at all to apologise for not commenting earlier. As I said in my post, if it weren't for my readers, the ones who read and comment and the ones who read but do not comment, my blog would not be celebrating its 2nd anniversary.

      Maine poocha chand se was one of the first songs (after Chaudvin ka chand and Ye chand sa roshan chehra that came to my mind when I was writing this post.

      Roop ye tera jis ne banaya woh does fit the theme. Do you know I had blocked out Sanjog from my recollection of Amitabh's movies?

      I'm torn on Teri aankhon ke siwa... the first antara does have a couple of comparisons, and it does praise her eyes, but...
      I'll post the link here and see if others have a different opinion.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kQu0U0qvg

      Chehra hain ya chand khila doesn't fit. :) Because apart from the mukhda it is not so much a song of praise or comparison.

      Am I even making sense? :(

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  12. Anu! I came back from vacation to see you had resumed blogging, and then I noticed the post was on the topic we had discussed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Like the earlier Aparna, I haven't commented until now, preferring to email you with my thoughts, but with a post dedicated to me, I should, na? :)
    My humble contributions to your theme:

    Husnwale tera jawaab nahin from Gharana
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pn81ApIsfs

    and Shyamal shyamal baran from Navrang...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_pJdsw09Cc

    -Aparna

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  13. Thank you format commenting, Aparna. And I'm glad you liked the list. Thank you also for adding to it.:)

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  14. Congratulations! on the entry into the 3rd year.

    While I do not wait for your posts with bated breath ;), a new one always is a happy occasion and clicking that link is an activity pretty much like unwrapping a magazine delivered by the postman back in the 80/90s. Keep going

    I kept going down your post with increasing frustration and there, I found the best one at #10. Wonder if you saved the best for last, for me that is one song which says it all. If the idea is to woo a woman, Guru Dutt had it pat on.

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    1. Hmm, backhanded compliment there, I see. Thanks (I think!). Yes, Chaudvin ka chand ho is the perfect comparison song.
      ps: Why were you 'increasingly frustrated' at the rest of the songs?

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    2. :) You're welcome! and the compliment is 100% forehand.

      My frustration was that Chauduvin ka Chand was not to be found; your list is quite good. Hoped that Kashmir Ki Kala - Chand sa Roshan Chehra would have found a slot.

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    3. You haven't really read my post, have you? (Foot tapping imperiously!) I opened with Chand sa roshan chehra!!!

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    4. Oops! I did it again. You did, I apologise profusely. How in the world did I miss that - god knows. (Maybe busy looking for Chauduvin ka chand...).

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    5. Yup, you did. :) That's what is called missing the forest for the trees. *grin*

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  15. Posted the last comment before this got added:

    http://youtu.be/qmEJ1hAzlYs - Javed Akthar's pen here is better when compared to Ek Ladki ko. (Does this fit into your definition of comparison - I dunno). Mera phaborite hain magar.

    Come to think of it, he (Javed saab) is pretty good at this metaphor stuff - In a totally different context, Pichle saat dino mein from Rock On is a modern day classic

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    1. It is my favourite too, but apart from the second stanza, the song is not really about comparisons or praise. It is a beautiful, beautiful song, though.

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  16. Nice to have you back blogging and yes, I really enjoyed this one + all the comments, addendums, etc. I have one "farmaayishi program" too, The Faroque Sheikh - Deepti Naval set of movies and all are my favourites so I don't mind which one.

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    1. Hi Nalini, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I did do Chashme Buddoor for you. :) But yes, the Farooque Sheikh-Deepti Naval jodi were one of my favourites too, so yes, I'll get around to it soon. Keep reading. :)

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  17. Wonderful to see you back, and what a wonderful post to come back with, Anu! I have really missed your posts and was going to send you an email to see what was wrong, but we have been traveling quite a bit, so I kept putting it off. We just got back from one such trip and I turned the computer on, and it was a welcome surprise to see this, and then I find that so many of the songs are my favorites. Wonderful, indeed!
    Happy birthday to your blog, and may it have many, many more birthdays like this one!
    Will listen to the songs tomorrow after I take the bags upstairs, and crash on my bed for the night. I will get back with thoughts (if this brain of mine can produce any, that is) tomorrow.

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    1. Thank you so much, Lalitha. It is nice to be back though it took sheer willpower to get out of the morass I was in. Looking forward to seeing what your brain will produce. :) :)

      Delete
  18. Congratulations Anu. Used to check here every now and then. Then, the day I leave for a long weekend, you post:-)
    The new look is very clean and good for the eyes. I understand your situation completely. A year and a half ago I too dropped my laptop and lost a lot of photographs :-(
    But all's well that ends well. :-)

    The list is absolutely perfect for me, because I love each and every song there. Special mention of, of course, chaudvin ka chand ho, ab kya misal doon, yeh chaand sa roshan chehra

    I burst out laughing when after reading all that lyrical elegance you write;
    >Which is all very well, but they are describing Rajendra Kumar.

    hahahaha
    Well you wanted to get away from 'chicken' comparisons. So how about this one ;-)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s9ECUV4ItU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, pacifist! I'm glad you liked the new look. It's good to be back.

      What a song! I have never heard this one, and I thought I knew all the Johnny Walker songs! Which film is this from?

      I must say it is much better than hearing a girl described as 'chicken fry'. :)

      Delete
  19. This is from film: Ghar Basake Dekho. It had Rajshree and I think Manoj Kumar.

    Anu, the link of mere mehboob mein kya nahin brings up the previous song aap ke haseen rukh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the information about the film, pacifist. If it had Rajshree and Manoj Kumar, that explains why I hadn't watched it. :)

      Thanks also for telling me about the link. My copy-paste must have failed, and I inadvertently copied the previous link for this as well. I have made the change now.

      Delete
  20. Happy belated blog Birthday, Anu! I like the new look - the colors are so pretty!

    I'm rather ambivalent about "songs of praise" when it comes to Hindi films. They veer uncomfortably close to objectifiying a woman at times, I feel. I've never liked "chaudvin ka chand" for that reason - it pays all together too much attention to Waheeda's looks.

    That said, here's another song in praise of Waheeda :-)
    Kuch sher sunata hoon main - Ek Dil Sau Afsane, Mukesh
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3IEydTBfqs

    Another one featuring Shammi and Rajshree:
    Tu bemisal hai teri tareef kya karoon - Brahmachari, Rafi
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNufbg5-4qU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shalini.

      I don't know that I would define songs praising a woman's (or man's) beauty as objectifying them. Poets and artists have always been inspired by beauty to create their verse, paintings or sculptures. And Chaudvin ka chand ho is all too awe-struck a song to be solely about objectifying the heroine. Besides, in context, he is a sensitive, poetic soul in the film. And truth be told, it is all very well to talk about inner beauty vs purely physical looks, but I don't see that one has to be exclusive of the other. And Waheeda, of all heroines, I think, completely deserved that ode to her beauty. :) But I will agree to disagree with you. :) :)

      I liked both the songs you added. I haven't heard the second one; I don't even remember seeing it - was it there in the film?

      Delete
    2. And I agree with you, Anu :-)

      I hate sexual objectification, but poetic/lyrical is wonderful.

      Would this song qualify? Rajender again :-D

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng_1OSsCaS4

      Delete
    3. I don't even consider it 'objectification' actually. I mean, it is a fine line to cross, and it falls under the category of 'I know it when I see/hear it.' :) This song, unfortunately does not fit the theme, because after telling her that her neck is like that of a vase, and her voice that of a koel's (Saira's voice??!), the rest of the song has nothing to do with praising her. :)

      Delete
  21. Thank you, Madhu. It's been a long and unexpected hiatus. Losing all the
    reference material was just the last straw. I think I just threw up my
    hands at that point. After that, I didn't seem to have the time or the
    energy either to write a post.

    Poor Rajendra Kumar! He does get a
    bashing most times, doesn't he? I'm trying to think of films where I
    could say 'He wasn't that bad!' :)

    Khwab ho tum is, as you say, somewhat in a similar vein as Aap ke haseen rukh but it doesn't fit the theme, no? I mean, apart from the Khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat, there is no direct comparison to anything...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks, Banno. Spend some time hacking into the code to make it behave the way I wanted. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you so much, Shilpi.
    Changing the template involved long hours of experimenting and lots of
    swearing (muted because there is a sharp-eared kid around).

    Now
    you have me very, very curious about which song and heroine you are
    referring to! Poor woman, that must have been very hurtful. And Waheeda
    was so, so beautiful anyway.

    Laughing at Jeevan se bhari teri aankhein Shilpi... It is such a poignant song, especially given the context in the film. Let me post the link here...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

    ReplyDelete
  24. Laughing at Jeevan se bhari teri aankhein Shilpi... It is such a poignant song, especially given the context in the film. Let me post the link here...



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

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you, dear Harvey. It is good to be back.

    Laughing at the reason for your dislike of Chandan sa badan. That is actually one of the songs that I do not like to watch, but I love the lyrics and the composition.

    And since I like you very much, Harvey, it pains me to say that neither of your choices fit the theme. :( At least in Hansta hua noorani chehra the mukhda
    does have some comparisons but the rest of the song is how they want
    him to love them or something like that. The second song doesn't even
    have that. But they are both such lovely songs... and it is always a
    pleasure to watch Helen. :) :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ouch! Sorry. I wasn't being mean. :( I was looking at the theme as being
    overtly about comparisons; at least three-quarters of the songs had to
    have them. Which is why I even dropped Yeh aankhein uff yumma from my list.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi, and welcome. Laughing at the vision of you singing Aap ke haseen rukh in traffic. But I can understand - I have had songs (not even good songs like the above!) stuck in my head for ages.

    I didn't set out to make it a Mohammed Rafi monopoly, believe me. It just happened to be that way. I agree with you about Jeevan se bhari. Shilpi posted it above and I mentioned how poignant I found the song given its context.

    Thanks for visiting, and commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks, Ava. :) And perfect contribution - such a peppy song, no? Even
    if he seems to be describing so many diferent women before coming to his
    beloved.

    And a beautiful, effervescent Sadhana. She was incredibly graceful in this which makes me wonder where that grace went later.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you, coolone. For both your wishes and your compliment. :)

    Aargh, I hacked this template so it would change the urls into an actual video - why didn't it do that with your link??

    Let me see if this link works...
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yeah, I was thinking more in terms of the gooey songs where, (atleast in
    the first flush of love) one person, usually the hero, is waxing
    eloquent about the heroine's looks/gait...so more on the lines of Yeh chand sa roshan chehra than Yeh nigahein mastana.

    I have the lines so clearly drawn in my mind, but don't seem to have made it clear in my post. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Perhaps I should change the title of the post to Songs of Comparison.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thank you, Subodh. Now you make me think that I should have waited to hear your rendition of Aawaz de kahan hai... :) Please do so even though I have returned. I'm sure others will be interested too.

    I'm glad you liked the songs on the list. I'm looking forward to seeing your contributions.

    ReplyDelete
  33. You're sweet, Harvey. :) Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thank you for visiting, Aparna, and for commenting, this time. :)
    There is no need at all to apologise for not commenting earlier. As I
    said in my post, if it weren't for my readers, the ones who read and
    comment and the ones who read but do not comment, my blog would not be celebrating its 2nd anniversary.

    Maine poocha chand se was one of the first songs (after Chaudvin ka chand and Ye chand sa roshan chehra that came to my mind when I was writing this post.

    Roop ye tera jis ne banaya woh does fit the theme. Do you know I had blocked out Sanjog from my recollection of Amitabh's movies?

    I'm torn on Teri aankhon ke siwa... the first antara does have a couple of comparisons, and it does praise her eyes, but...
    I'll post the link here and see if others have a different opinion.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

    Chehra hain ya chand khila doesn't fit. :) Because apart from the mukhda it is not so much a song of praise or comparison.

    Am I even making sense? :(

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thank you format commenting, Aparna. And I'm glad you liked the list. Thank you also for adding to it.:)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hmm, backhanded compliment there, I see. Thanks (I think!). Yes, Chaudvin ka chand ho is the perfect comparison song.

    ps: Why were you 'increasingly frustrated' at the rest of the songs?

    ReplyDelete
  37. It is my favourite too, but apart from the dialogue in the second stanza, the song is
    not really about comparisons or praise. It is a beautiful, beautiful
    song, though.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Nalini, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I did do Chashme Buddoor
    for you. :) But yes, the Farooque Sheikh-Deepti Naval jodi were one of
    my favourites too, so yes, I'll get around to it soon. Keep reading. :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thank you so much, Lalitha. It is nice to be back though it took sheer
    willpower to get out of the morass I was in. Looking forward to seeing
    what your brain will produce. :) :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Ha, pacifist! I'm glad you liked the new look. It's good to be back.

    What a song! I have never heard this one, and I thought I knew all the Johnny Walker songs! Which film is this from?

    I must say it is much better than hearing a girl described as 'chicken fry'. :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thanks for the information about the film, pacifist. If it had Rajshree
    and Manoj Kumar, that explains why I hadn't watched it. :)

    Thanks
    also for telling me about the link. My copy-paste must have failed, and
    I inadvertently copied the previous link for this as well. I have made
    the change now.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks, Shalini.

    I don't know that I would define songs praising
    a woman's (or man's) beauty as objectifying them. Poets and artists
    have always been inspired by beauty to create their verse, paintings or
    sculptures. And Chaudvin ka chand ho is all too awe-struck a song
    to be solely about objectifying the heroine. Besides, in context, he is
    a sensitive, poetic soul in the film. And truth be told, it is all very
    well to talk about inner beauty vs purely physical looks, but I don't
    see that one has to be exclusive of the other. And Waheeda, of all
    heroines, I think, completely deserved that ode to her beauty. :) But I
    will agree to disagree with you. :) :)

    I liked both the songs you added. I haven't heard the second one; I don't even remember seeing it - was it there in the film?

    ReplyDelete
  43. You haven't really read my post, have you? (Foot tapping imperiously!) I opened with Chand sa roshan chehra!!!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I don't even consider it 'objectification' actually. I mean, it is a
    fine line to cross, and it falls under the category of 'I know it when I
    see/hear it.' :) This song, unfortunately does not fit the theme,
    because after telling her that her neck is like that of a vase, and her
    voice that of a koel's (Saira's voice??!), the rest of the song has nothing to do with praising her. :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Yup, you did. :) That's what is called missing the forest for the trees. *grin*

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi, Long time no see. Well, I haven't been commenting either, but I have been reading your posts. Things have been rather hectic for a while. Lovely post, Anu. And I do like the new look of the blog. Very, very clean and simple. Has anyone posted this?

    http://youtu.be/ddXt2O9ivAU

    ReplyDelete
  47. I have this bad habit of expressing two thoughts in a sentence which distorts the meaning of what I want to say. (goes to show the importance of punctuations).
    I didn't mean to say lyrical and poetic expressions objectified. Not at all. They form beautiful verse - as beautiful as the beauty they describe. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  48. Don't worry; I guessed as much. :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. I should be saying that! I haven't seen you around for ages. So you have been reading my posts, have you? *suspiciously* :)


    Shilpi did post Jeevan se bhari... I don't know why Disqus isn't embedding the videos in the comments; it is supposed to. :(



    Thanks, Ruhi. I'm glad the change has been appreciated so much.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Chitrapat Sangeet5 September 2013 at 01:08

    Superb stuff Anu! Well done, lovely post and excellent choices.
    I would like to throw in 2 of my favourite songs-
    Inevitably Ravi in "Husn ne chand bhi sharmaya hai" and "Mujhe Yeh Phool na de" from Gazal. The second song has the hero and heroine praising each other. (Watch the very end, where Meena is all set to kiss Sunil Dutt :) )

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anu,

    Welcome back. And Happy belated Second Anniversary, though you are responsible for the major part of the delay. Five songs will fit my list of great songs, the best being 'Jo baat tujhme hai'.

    Let me post a perfect comparison song, a Mukesh non-film ghazal. This time I am sure it fits your theme. But it is Mukesh, so the choice is yours.

    'Tere labon ke muqabil gulab kya hoga'

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUtlh50aQmc

    ReplyDelete
  52. Karthik, thank you. I'm glad you liked the list.

    I haven't heard Husn se chand bhi sharmaya hai in ages! What a lovely song. Let me post the link here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_8Drzm_AKE

    And Mujhko ye phool na de - Meena Kumari at her playful best! :) I love it. It is a lesser known song from a film that had such lovely songs. Thanks for mentioning it here.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GwjHhrMXmY

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thank you, SoY. Yes, of course I'm responsible for the delay. I said so in my post. :)

    But it is Mukesh, so the choice is yours.
    You say that like I would not post a song if Mukesh was singing it. I hold fast to my opinion that Mukesh went besur quite often,but that does not take away from the depth of emotion in his voice, or his immense talent that allowed him to shine amongst a constellation of great singers who were his peers.



    It is a beautiful song, and I'm glad you posted it. I hadn't heard this before. I've heard very few of the non-filmi songs that were sung by him or by the others.

    ReplyDelete
  54. By the way, how did you manage to get the video embedded in your comment? I've been trying to get Disqus to do so from the time I installed it, but for some reason every link that has been posted in the comments section has remained a link. :(

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anuji,

    Last week I was enquiring
    about you. We were concerned about your long absence. We are happy to have you
    back after a long self imposed exile. My belated wishes on completion of two
    years of this blog.

    .‘ Songs of Praise’. An interesting topic. I enjoyed the post and
    the songs. The selection of the songs is good. Here are a few more songs. I
    hope they fit into you criterion.

    Aeye Jane Chaman Tera Gora Badan from Anmol Moti (1969) by
    Mahendra Kapoor, lyrics Rajinder Krishan, music Ravi

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TabJZLkva34

    Jahan Tu Hai Wahan Phir Chandni from Aao Pyar Karen (1964) by
    Mohammad Rafi, lyrics Rajinder Krishan , music Usha Khanna

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHQFvp4XfaM



    It
    seems after Md.Rafi, Mukesh fits the bill for this type of songs!

    Chaand Aahen Bharega from Phool bane angaare (1963) by
    Mukesh, lyrics Anand Bakshi, music Kalyanji Anandji

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdGsYnl4fL8#t=309

    ReplyDelete
  56. Dear Mr Venkatraman,



    I'm glad to know I was missed. Or that at least my posts were. :) Thank you for your wishes and for liking the post. I listened to your selections. Two out of the three were new to me. They all fit the I didn't quite like the first one. The second one - I'm sure I must have heard it before, but as I said, it is new to me. I liked Chand aahein bharega the best out of the three. It is a really beautiful rendition. Thank you for the links.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Chitrapat Sangeet5 September 2013 at 22:17

    Rajinder was brilliant in Kanoon, he poured his heart out in that movie.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Where are my manners?
    Happy Birthday to your blog!
    Wish you, your blog and us years of pleasure ahead with each other!
    Tum jeeyo hazaron saal aur blog ke janamdin ho pachas hazaar!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Karthik, yes! How could I have forgotten that? Come to think of it, there were a few films in which I did like him. Like Jogan, for instance. :)

    ReplyDelete
  60. All praise for
    - The Anniversary of the Blog
    - Back to active Chai-paani here
    - Songs of Praise
    - The New Template
    and thank God, and indeed you, that your priorities and likings have not taken you away from writing on HFM

    ReplyDelete
  61. Thank you, Mr Vaishnav. Your comment cheered me up just when I needed a dose of cheer. :)

    ReplyDelete
  62. I know this song plays over the radio in the car, but it is a song of praise:

    Chand aahen bharega ... from Phool Bane Angaarey

    Aankhen Naazuk Si Kaliyaan
    Baat Mishri Ki Daliyaan
    Honth Gangaa Ke Saahil
    Zulfen Jannat Ki Galiyaan
    Teri Khaatir Farishte, Sar Pe Ilzaam Lenge

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdGsYnl4fL8‎

    This one is sung by the hero, and that was one hero who was high up on my No-no list:

    Taubaa ye matavaali chaal, jhuk jaae phulo ki daal
    Taubaa ye matavaali chaal, jhuk jaae phulo ki daal
    Chaand aur suraj aakar maange, tujhase rang-e-jamaal
    Hasinaa! Teri misaal kahaan

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wKsvpxRST4‎



    Definitely worth a watch, just to see Manoj trying to dance!

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love all the songs on the list, especially nos. 8 and 10. My dad used to sing them to my mother!

    ReplyDelete
  64. Chand aahein bharega is definitely a song of praise. I wonder why the links you posted do not translate into videos! Aargh to Disqus! I'm trying it again.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kpKvrqBnZs

    I had Tauba ye matwaali chaal on my long list, but then realised that after praising the heroine for half the song, the other half was devoted to himself, and it wasn't praise either. Since I had other songs to fill my list, I decided to drop it. But I'm glad you posted it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExCFRQI31HY
    (I'm still hopeful, as you can see.)

    ReplyDelete
  65. I was wrong in thinking that one could come up with many songs on the theme of this blog. You have, by and large, exhausted the list and the comments have made up for the rest. I can think of only one song that hasn't figured so far - 'Kaliyon si palkein hain' from Vishwa Vidhata http://youtu.be/vsFyQhwcZUg. I am surprised why Rahman's music in this film hasn't received the notice it deserves. In my opinion 'Kaliyon si palkein..' and its female counterpart 'Nazron ke milne se' are among the best songs he has composed. It is only the male version, however, that fits the theme of this post.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Subodh, I don't even remember Vishwa Vidhata and this was a
    period in which I watched almost every single Hindi movie that released.
    :) The original of the song you posted is from a Tamil film called Pudhiya Mugam - one of AR Rehman's earliest hits.

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

    ReplyDelete
  67. Subodh with Anu's permission this has nothing to do with the article but the music of Puthiya Mugam was re-used in its entirety for Vishwa Vidhaata . As I recall two really good songs were these melodically though sadly the music is entirely programmed on the computer , I don't think there is a single human hand playing any instrument.

    http://www.hummaa.com/music/song/ithuthan-kathal-enbadha/1030484#

    And this one same tune slower but a change in the lyrics.

    http://www.hummaa.com/music/song/ithuthan-vazkai-enbadha-sad/1034210

    ReplyDelete
  68. Just did some Googling, and discovered that Vishwa Vidhata/i> was a remake of Pudhiya Mugam. :)

    ReplyDelete
  69. Thanks Anu and SSW. The movie Vishwa Vidhata sank without a trace. Did Pudhiya Mugam do better? Are the original versions of the songs better known in Tamil? I really love the Hindi versions.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Pudhiya Mugam was an average grosser, but the soundtrack was very popular.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Happy belated 2nd anniversary. What a way to celebrate birthday!

    One more beautiful song of praise in Rafi's voice

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_nP4QvDJawQ

    ReplyDelete
  72. Thank you, Ashraf. Sorry for the belated reply.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Delay is excused,

    No reaction to the song? does it not fit the bill or is it not good enough? would like to know.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Ashraf, I must ashamedly confess to not having clicked on the link at all. :( The past few months have been rather hectic as you may have guessed from the paucity of posts on the blog.

    Yes, it does fit. And how! :) That is some praise. :) :) I had not heard the song before, nor have I heard of the film. Thank you for the link.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Thanks for replying promptly in spite of hectic schedule.

    Subject: Re: New comment posted on http://anuradhawarrier.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-favourites-songs-of-praise.html

    ReplyDelete
  76. Kishore is amazing but he tarnished his image with those high pitched rendered songd

    ReplyDelete
  77. What does that mean, 'tarnished his image'? (Curious, not snarky. Truly.)

    ReplyDelete
  78. The songs of Mere Jeevan Saathi, Kati Patang, Namak Haram, Julie etc were all sped up post recording to give him a higher pitch in his voice.

    ReplyDelete
  79. I haven't heard anyone say that before, so I'll take that with a pinch of salt. It doesn't take away from my enjoyment of his songs, in any case.

    Besides, if you want to be taken seriously, it doesn't help to come and comment under two different user names, when I can see both your email and your IP address are the same for both users.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Anu, Have you heard Kishore's Bengali songs from Looko Choori - Ek Poloke, ektu dekha?


    What about Choti si yeh duniya from Rangoli and Munna bada pyaara from Musafir, Haal tujhe from Aasha?

    ReplyDelete
  81. I have, Ranji, but again, not very recently. I was introduced to his Bengali offerings by a friend. I love Choti si yeh duniya but am not a great fan of Munna bada pyara; I can't recall offhand the last song you mentioned.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Just to follow up Anu - I was remembering some of Kishore's not so famous duets, especially with Asha.

    Have you heard Kabhi Kabhi Sapna Lagta hai from Ratna Deep. If I remember correctly, it was released in mid-79 or early 80's - not a traditional pot boiler (Girish Karnad and Hema) and so it probably ran only for a week and was an absolute disaster. But the songs were absolute gems, especially the Kishore-Asha duet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XoCtSJoNgk



    I was trying to figure out why I liked it, and I hit upon the fact that the lyrics were written by Gulzar (yes, Khamoshi again).


    I think that the Gulzari-Rd-Kishore combination has given us some lovely songs, but even the songs that Gulzar wrote for others and sung by Kishore have been great - like Thodisi Bewafai Kishore-Lata duets.


    In recent days, there are hardly any lyricists who really write shudh hindi or urdu (although Gulzar and Javed Akthar still do a good job). So we end up with Kamlee and Lovely type of songs from Happy New Year, with a mish-mash of lyrics and accents.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Another tidbit to share with all of you. There was a 1984 or 85 concert that Kishore (he must have been in his mid-50's at the time) gave in Kolkata (I think it is on youtube in two parts) where he talks about the difficulty of getting good songs to sing because he has to make a living and that most of it goes back to the income tax man. And then he promptly proceeds to say what sounds are important to the singer, especially in a public performance. It is a pretty long concert and I was blown away by his ability to sing and crack jokes and put people at ease all in one fell swoop.

    As you grow into your 50's and 60's, one's voice becomes a little hoarse and not able to hit the high notes, especially see the case of Lata, Asha and Yesudas, even though they still have what is called "shareeram" (it is in malayalam) or something to do with the ability to sing without losing pitch and stability of voice.

    For any of you die hard Lata, Asha and Yesudas fans here on this blog, please, I am not saying that Kishore is anyway better than all of them (but he is not less than any of them either IMHO) but all these singers have an innate, god-given talent that we all need to be lucky to listen to and enjoy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NycSpinFlFI&spfreload=10

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK4BQt2Ugvw&spfreload=10

    ReplyDelete
  84. I agree with you about the Kishore-RD-Gulzar combination - they gave us such lovely songs! I haven't had a chance to listen to the song you posted, but I will. Haven't heard of the film, I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete
  85. His interviews were always a blast to read. And he had a lifelong feud with the income tax man. :) Thanks for the links.

    ReplyDelete

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