Page 36 - Seniors Today

Music

Epic soundtracks across 75 years

Narendra Kusnur selects 30 pathbreaking Hindi film music albums since
Independence, that still echo sounds of pure brilliance

EVER since the film Shehnai was released Bazaar are some. Despite iconic songs, films
on August 15, 1947, Hindi film music lovers like Mahal (‘Aayega Aanewala’), Parakh (‘O
have heard numerous brilliant soundtracks, Sajna’) and Prem Geet (‘Honton Se Choo Lo
with a set of outstanding songs. To mark 75 Tum’) didn’t qualify as they were single-hit
years of Indian independence, we thought soundtracks. Let’s look at each decade now.
of compiling a list of such path-breaking
albums. 1947-56
Keeping Seniors Today readers in mind,
we have focused on old and retro music.
Thus, we have gone decade-wise from 1947,
covering the 50-year span till 1997. For each
period, we have chosen five soundtracks
in chronological order of release. For the
balance 25-year period, we have chosen a
total of five movies with music that has a
retro feel.
Thus, we have listed 30 such soundtracks. This was when singers Lata Mangeshkar,
There are, of course, many more that could Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Geeta Dutt and
have made the list. Naya Daur, Hum Dono, Talat Mahmood were at their peak. Music
Pakeezah, Anand, Aandhi, Ijaazat and directors Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishan and

36